Twisted Brother
by Caro June
Summary: Someone from McGee's past wants revenge. The question is – who will pay the price? Started out as a case fic but has evolved into an exploration of the friendship between Tony and Tim. Maybe a hint or two of Tiva and McAbby, if you look really, really hard. NO SLASH. Lots of hurt Tony and Tim though.
1. Terrible Tuesday

_**A/N:** It is good to be back to writing in the Fan Fiction world of NCIS. So much has happened in my personal life that prevented me from writing. My husband had open heart surgery in October, followed by two huge blood clots which nearly cost him his life. Thank God for the caring experience of all the medical personnel who responded when I frantically dialed 911, and for the skills and knowledge exhibited at our small local hospital by those who quickly diagnosed him and put him on a life flight within an hour of being brought in. And thank God for the care and experience of all those at the large trauma center where he spent nearly 3 weeks in ICU. Finally, he began to recover and now, nearly 5 months later, you would never even know he had been so ill. Blessings on all of you and thank you for your concern, as well as all the prayers expressed last time I wrote. _

_Meanwhile, in the NCIS land inside my head, a story has been percolating for some time. Following is my attempt to share it with all of you. _

_This may or may not develop into a TIVA story, I don't know for sure yet. Mostly I think this will be a story of the brotherly-like relationship between McGee and DiNozzo. **NO SLASH.**_

_I like to write about the relationships between the agents, so I won't spend a lot of time on the actual crimes. They are simply necessary to set the stage for the story. And of course, it is hurt/comfort, so I will be abusing my favorite agent. _

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of NCIS, except the other characters who show up to torment our favorite crime fighting team.

**Summary**: Someone from McGee's past wants revenge. The question is – who will pay the price?

Twisted Brother

Chapter 1

"Terrible Tuesday"

Timothy McGee was in an incredibly good mood when he got up Tuesday morning. Yesterday, the NCIS team known informally as "Team Gibbs" had closed a difficult case and his research had been the piece that had broken the case wide open. Even Special Agent Tony DiNozzo had complimented him on his work and had bought beers all around for everyone after work. Gibbs had joined in for a rare evening of team camaraderie and for once, all was right with McGee's world.

As he got ready for work, he stopped and briefly considered that anomaly. If he was superstitious, which he wasn't, he would be just a bit concerned that such a perfect day on Monday would lead to a terrible Tuesday. Snorting in disgust at the line of reasoning his thoughts had taken, he finished combing his hair, applied just a touch of hair spray and decided he was ready for whatever "Terrible Tuesday," might have in store for him.

Special Agent Tony Dinozzo looked up from his desk when he heard the elevator ding. Seeing Special Agent Timothy McGee getting off with Agent Ziva David made him smile. He liked seeing his coworkers come in together, especially when he had beaten them to work by a good 20 minutes. "Running a bit behind the times, aren't you Timmy?" he flashed his lopsided grin in their direction. "And I see you have managed to corrupt our young probie as well." He shook his head, while making "tsk, tsk, tsk," sounds. "Gibbs won't like it you know. He expects his special agents to be ready for anything, at any time."

McGee and David had stopped at the top of the bullpen, listening in growing disgust as Tony raved on. So they were both hugely gratified to see Gibbs quietly sneak up behind DiNozzo, and smack him none too lightly on the back of his head. "That's right DiNozzo. He does." Gibbs paused just long enough to enjoy DiNozzo's astonished expression before fishing the keys out of his drawer and tossing them toward his Senior Agent.

"Gear Up. Dead Petty Officer out in Derwood." Tim and Ziva indulged in a brief high five, before turning around and getting back into the elevator. Gibbs joined them just as the doors began to shut, leaving Tony scrambling to retrieve the keys, which had managed to fall between his desk and the partition, as well as grab his backpack. They could all hear Tony's murmured "me and my big mouth," as the doors closed.

All thoughts of laugher ceased as they stood over the mutilated body of the young petty officer. Dr. "Ducky" Mallard looked up as he withdrew the liver probe. "Too much blood to tell exactly what he died of, Gibbs, but exsanguination appears to be a likely suspect. TOD is somewhere between midnight and 0400 this morning."

Gibbs reached out and gingerly eased the dog tags away from the man's mutilated neck. He quickly read the service number off and waited for McGee to identify him.

"Daniel Dominque. Petty Officer stationed out of Quantico." McGee was quick to give the horribly disfigured man a name. "His commanding officer is Captain Donna Rothwells."

Gibbs leaned back on his heels for a moment, surveying the scene. The dead man was in a wooded area, covered with just a few leaves and twigs. A couple of hikers had literally stumbled over him. They were now sitting in a patrol car, obviously quite shaken.

"DiNozzo, sketch and canvass the area. David, pictures. McGee, interview the witnesses." Gibbs sighed as he watched his team spring into action. Dr. Mallard and Jimmy Palmer, the ME's assistant, carefully examined the body. "He has been slashed with something very sharp a number of times. By the amount of blood, it appears he was likely alive when most of the injuries took place. And it looks as if he was killed here Gibbs; this doesn't appear to be a dump site."

Ducky shook his head, momentarily pausing in his examination. "Poor fellow, not a very pleasant way to leave this world, is it now? Well, then Mr. Palmer, let's get him loaded up and back to NCIS. I'll have your report Gibbs, within a few hours."

At that moment DiNozzo called out from about 50 yards away, where he had been going over the ground very carefully. "Found something boss; you're going to want to see this." Gibbs and Ziva made their way over to where DiNozzo was squatting at the base of a small tree. He looked up, then, pointed at a note that was nailed to the tree. Ziva took pictures from several angles before Tony carefully took the note into his hands. "It's covered in blood, but I think I can make it out." Squinting and holding the gory note up to the light, Tony read the ominous words aloud: "_U __'__R Next._" The words were in block letters, and appeared to have been cut from a magazine. "Bag, it DiNozzo," Gibbs sighed. "And get it to Abby as soon as possible."

From there on the action became somewhat predictable. McGee finished his interviews with the two hikers who had had their morning ruined in such an appalling way. They didn't have much to share, except that they routinely came to the area, two or three times a week. Nothing like this had ever happened before and they hadn't noticed anyone unusual in the area. In fact, because they liked to hike early in the mornings, no one else had been out and about.

Ziva and Tony finished canvassing the area, and other than the note, turned up nothing significant. It was fairly subdued group that left the crime scene and headed back to NCIS headquarters

The investigation continued in its usual manner. The only thing being different about it was that they turned up nothing that shed any light on the murder. The petty office had an outstanding record, and had recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan. His financial records revealed nothing significant and a thorough background check of his unit exposed nothing unusual. After about three weeks, the case went cold. But in the back of Gibb's mind, he could not shake the "_U __'__R next_" message loose. If only he knew who was supposed to be next.

So it was with more than the usual trepidation that Gibbs gave his "gear up" command to his team when a second petty officer was found dead, again on a Tuesday. And again, murdered in the same awful fashion. The only thing significantly different regarding this one was that it was a female officer, named Lynete Clarkson and she was stationed out of Annapolis. This time it was Ziva who found the note, half buried under some debris at the scene.

Holding it up, after Tony took the necessary pictures, she read it out loud: "_Just kidding. SHE was next. But b-WEAR_."

After returning to the bullpen, Gibbs spent two hours going over every minute piece of evidence. He was growing more and more concerned that somehow the notes were directed at him or a member of his team.

"DiNozzo! Front and center," his gruff voice could be heard all over the immediate area. Tony had been leaning over McGee's computer, looking at the financial statements they had just pulled up.

"Boss?" Tony looked up and made his way over to Gibb's desk. Perching on the edge, he folded his arms and made eye contact. "You got something?" All of the normal joking around had vanished when they had seen the second victim. If Petty Officer Dominque's wounds had been terrible, the injuries inflicted on the young woman had been horrific.

"I want you to pull every case in the last 8 years that involved anyone who made threats to a member of our team. We're going to go over them with a fine tooth comb and see if anything stands out. Take Ziva with you and go get the evidence."

As Tony and Ziva made their way to the archive section of the building, Gibbs looked at McGee. "McGee." His voice was even more terse and curt than usual. "When they get back with them, you start cross referencing with anyone we turn up who has been recently released from prison." McGee nodded, and answered with a terse comment of his own, the standard, "On it boss." He pulled up the computer program he would need to access the information Gibbs wanted.

An hour and forty-five minutes later, Tony and Ziva made their way back into the bullpen, boxes and boxes of old cases loaded onto a cart. "How do you want to divide these up, boss?" Tony's inquiry cut into the quietness of the room. Going over to the cart, Gibbs randomly picked up a case file and started flipping through it. "My guess is if someone is after one of us, it's most likely you or me DiNozzo. I've been here longest and you just happen to have the ability to tick people off more than anyone I know." Tossing the file at Ziva, he instructed, "So, I'll go through all of your case files, you go through mine and David, you take the rest. McGee, you start a list of everyone even remotely connected to anything we turn up in these files, and start checking out prison terms and release dates."

The agents quickly moved to their desks and started the tedious process of reviewing old files. McGee took a random handful and started his list. After about an hour, he looked up. "Boss, this would go a lot faster if I could get Abby's help." Gibbs barely looked in his direction. "Go, go. Get down to her lab and the two of you do that thing you do. Get me names, people, I want names!"

Time seemed to drag on as the team went through each case. Ziva looked up when Tony winced as he reviewed one of Gibb's more colorful cases. "Boss, I think this one is a possibility…." But his voice trailed off. "Oh, never mind." Glancing up he couldn't help but smile a little. "The dude threatened you all right, but looks like he got very dead, very fast, before his trial was even complete. Nice work, Boss."

Finally, at 2030 hours, when they had all been relentlessly pouring over evidence, Gibbs tossed a file in Tony's direction. "Remember this one, DiNozzo?" Ziva got up and came over to lean over Tony's shoulder as he quickly paged through the file. "Oh yeah. He hated my guts." Without waiting for direction, Tony quickly dialed Abby's lab, putting his phone on speaker.

"Abby and Timmy's hot shot prison break service. Abigail speaking!" Abby's perky voice came over the phone. Even Gibbs managed a tiny ghost of a grin on hearing that. "Abs," Tony shook his head. "Need you and Timmy to run a name for me, ASAP, okay?" They all heard some scuffling coming over the phone, then McGee's voice came on next. "Wouldn't be John Patters, would it Tony?"

Tony rubbed his hand over his very tired eyes. "Wow, I don't even want to know how you did that, McInformation. But yeah, whatcha' you got on Patters?" A little more shuffling and then Abby's voice broke through. "We'll bring it up; you're all going to want to see this."

While they were waiting, Tony bent tiredly over the next file. So he was a little unprepared when he felt Ziva's hands on his tight neck. "Why don't you take a break, Tony?" she murmured. Tony found he didn't have it in him to resist, as she gently massaged his tense and corded up muscles. All was quiet for a few moments, until the ding of the elevator brought them to attention.

"Whata' you got McGee?" Gibbs voice brooked no patience whatsoever. "Boss, he could be our guy." Tim went to his computer and sat down, quickly pulling up the program he and Abby had been working on. Abby grabbed the remote control and turned on the big screen. "Observe," she said, her voice all business now. "Mr. John Patters convicted of murder of a female petty office 7 years ago. Tony, you were the lead investigator and it was your testimony that put him away. We pulled the transcripts of the trial and he threatened to kill you in so many creative ways even I was impressed."

Agent DiNozzo took the file Gibbs held out to him and slowly perused it. "Oh yeah, I do remember this one." His face drained of all color. "Boss, he killed her in mostly the same way Lynete Clarkson was killed. Not quite as grisly, but close."

McGee then took the remote from Abby's fingers where it had been dangling loosely. "He's still in prison, boss, but there is something a little strange going on. His brother just got back from being overseas, where he's been since the trial ended. He's been visiting Patters for about 3 weeks now. His name is Ian Patters, and he was a former Navy Seal."

Tony scrunched up his face and peered closely at the image of Ian Patters that was now on the screen. "Oh yeah, I remember him too. But it doesn't make any sense, Boss. He hated his brother for ruining his good name and his career. He told him he hoped he rotted in prison and said he never wanted to see him again. Why would he suddenly be visiting?"

"That's what we have to find out. But not tonight. Go home, people, get some sleep and be back by 0700. l need everyone sharp on this one." A huge yawn, started by Abby, then picked up by McGee, Ziva and DiNozzo in that order, was his only answer, as his team tiredly started pulling their personal gear out of their desks. A quiet, "Night, boss," were the only words spoken as they all huddled into the elevator together.

Tim's words were barely heard, as he muttered, "It's been another terrible Tuesday."

_A/N: This will be a multi-chapter fic. I have most of it outlined, and will try to post as often as I can, but I am super busy right now, so I may not be able to post quite as fast as I want to. Reviews welcome._


	2. What Do You See, McGee?

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Two**

"**What Do You See, McGee?"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs got off the elevator, coffees in hand at 0630 hours on Wednesday morning. Unsurprised, he surveyed the members of his team already at their desks, and hard at work. Tony was on the phone, arguing with someone, leaning back, eyes closed. Ziva David was poring over a file, and McGee was staring at his computer screen. Even Abby was already there, sitting on a corner of McGee's desk, leaning over and looking intently at whatever Tim was showing her.

Gibbs strode into the bullpen area, dropping a different hot drink in front of each member of his team. Tony nodded, paused in his harangue of whoever he had on the phone and gulped a bit of it, smiled his thanks and resumed his argument. Abby beamed her brilliant 1000 wattage smile at him and accepted the Chai Tea he held out to her. "Gibbs!" she hugged him quickly, "You remembered this time." Ziva pointedly dropped her already empty coffee cup into the trash and sipped at her fresh one, getting up to go over and see what Tim had turned up.

"Hard not to, Abs." Gibbs sat at his own desk and fired up his computer. "You complained enough last time." Glancing up when Tony abruptly hung up the phone and raised his fist with a "Yes!" he raised his eyebrows. "Report," was all he had to say before they sprang into action.

As they all gathered in front of the big screen, Tony clicked it on, bringing up two photos, side by side. One was of a clean cut Navy officer; the second showed a blurry image of a man at an ATM. "What am I looking at DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Tony zoomed in for a close up. "As you'll remember from last night, first picture is Navy Seal, Ian Patters, right before his brother John was sentenced. He left the Seals a month later. While not officially dishonorably discharged, let's just say his unit made it plain they had no use for him anymore. He returned from an extended stay overseas about 3 months ago. It took me forever, but I finally got his bank to release his records. I came across this photo earlier this morning, taken at an ATM about 6 weeks ago, and it made me curious."

Tony paused, taking another gulp of his coffee. "Seems they thought I should have a warrant or something first. Also, apparently, bankers really do keep banker's hours; he didn't like me calling his house at 0600 this morning. Anyway, our Navy Seal hardly even looks the same. Scuttlebutt from a 1st Louie in his old unit is he got mixed up in drugs. That could explain his motive for visiting dear old brother John lately. And his records should be arriving in my inbox right about….now." Tony's timing was only off by one or two seconds; that what how long it took before the chirp that announced an email sounded in the suddenly silent room.

"Impressive, Tony." Ziva took the remote and clicked it twice. This time the unwelcome picture of a dead young woman filled the screen. "This is Petty Officer Sharon Conters. She is the woman John Patters was convicted of raping and killing 8 years ago. I pulled all the paperwork from her case and have been reviewing it, looking for similarities. There seem to be too many to be a coincidence and anyway, Gibbs, I know you do not believe in them. Coincidences, I mean, not similarities." Turning toward Tony, she handed him the file. "That was a particularly brutal case, yes?" Tony tossed the file back onto his desk with looking at it. He had no problem recalling all of the gory details. "Yes," was all he said.

McGee was next. Clicking rapidly as he talked, he zipped through a list of names and pictures. "Boss, I checked and rechecked anyone connected with your and Tony's old cases last night, and there are a couple of others worth mentioning." Stopping on the third screen, he zoomed in on one. "Remember this one? Karen Fortune, one of the Navy's only convicted serial killers? She threatened you boss, and at first I thought it could be her. But it's not too likely; turns out she's gotten religion in prison and has become a model prisoner. She's even leading Bible studies and all kinds of self help groups for the other women. Could be faking it, but her warden seems to think she's genuine."

Gibbs peered at her picture for a moment, and then made a dismissive gesture. "Not her, McGee. Who's next?" None of the team questioned his quick decision; they had all learned to trust his famous gut.

A few more clicks and the scarred visage or a truly ugly man dominated the screen. "Ouch, McPoloroid," Tony winced. "That face is enough to curdle the hazelnut cream in my coffee." McGee nodded. "Yeah, he's not pretty. But he hated you both. His was one of the first cases the two of you worked together. His threats weren't all that spectacular; still, he did say you'd both be dead."

Gibbs shook his head. "Not him either. He said we'd be dead within the week and that was over 7 years ago. Got anyone else?" McGee kept clicking through the remaining photos. "No one else really stands out boss. Feels like Patters might be our best shot."

Gibbs nodded. "Agreed. Good work people." On that note he spun around and headed for the elevator. Behind him, his three agents were grinning and high fiving each other. Gibbs shook his head. Sometimes he didn't know what to do with them.

"Not that good. Get back to it. McGee, switch with David. You go through old case files, looking for anyone she may have missed. David, you double check McGee's list. Abs, go back to your lab and take Patters' file with you. You help Ducky do a psychological profile on both Ian and John." The elevator door opened, and he stepped in, looking pointedly at Tony. DiNozzo jumped up, grabbed his coffee and sprinted toward Gibbs. "Where we going boss?" The door closed on his answer. "To see an old friend, DiNozzo. To see an old friend."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Pulling up to the gate in front of the Federal Correction Institution in Petersburg, Virginia, precisely two hours and 23 minutes later, DiNozzo rolled the driver's window down and presented both his and Gibbs' IDs. "NCIS agents, here to see a prisoner." The guard took his time inspecting their credentials, as other guards did a quick cursory search of the car. "Would you gentleman mind stepping out of the car and popping the trunk please?" Both agents complied; they were used to the careful procedures practiced before even they were allowed into the facility.

Fifteen minutes later, they were handing their service weapons over to a warden and being shown into a secure room. A few minutes after that, a man they both recognized as John Patters was brought in. Patters had a large baby face and had somehow managed to gain a lot of weight while in prison. His orange jump suit didn't do anything to make him look dignified and the chains at his ankles, wrists and waist testified to the fact he was still considered very dangerous.

Sitting down across from the NCIS agents, Patters broke into a huge grin. As Gibbs nodded toward the door and the guard left them alone with the prisoner, he started chuckling out loud. "I wondered how long before you showed up."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Jimmy Palmer looked up as Abby entered the autopsy area. He had been meticulously cleaning one of the tables, the one where most recently Lynete Clarkson had laid. "Morning Abby," he smiled. "What brings you to our domain?" Abby stood quietly for a minute, watching Jimmy work. "I'm here to see the Duck Man, Jimmy. I'm here to help him help McGee help Ziva help Tony help Gibbs solve this case. We're all here to help. Gibbs is great, but without our help he's, well, I guess you'd say he's helpless. Well not helpless, exactly, but still, he needs us Jimmy. And he knows he needs us, and that's what makes him so not helpless."

Jimmy stood still, his eyes opening wider every time the word help or helpless came out of Abby's mouth. He jumped slightly when Dr. Mallard came up quietly behind him, and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Do not worry, Mr. Palmer. You will eventually understand our Abigail. Well, at least as much as any of us understands her."

Turning to Abby, who was still muttering about helping and not being helpless, he stopped her by holding his hand up. "Now, Miss Scuito, how can I be of service?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Agent DiNozzo looked at John Patters, feeling his guts churning just a bit as he remembered seeing the young petty officer's body. Sharon Conters had been the first woman he'd ever seen in such a mutilated condition. He'd been embarrassed when he'd lost his lunch a scant hundred yards away from the crime scene after processing it. Until Gibbs had leaned down as he was hunched over his knees and had quietly told him that losing his lunch wasn't a problem. The problem was when it didn't make him sick.

Tony put on his best game face and narrowed his eyes at Patters. "Well, John, I can't tell you how much I've wanted to see you again too. Just to remind myself that vermin really can be kept locked up." Raising his eyebrows and looking him up and down, Tony turned toward Gibbs. "I'm kinda surprised though, boss." Gibbs was staring intently at Patters and without blinking replied. "Why's that DiNozzo?"

"Well," Tony drawled, leaning back and locking his hands behind his head. "I thought other vermin liked vegetables." He let the silence hang in the air for a moment. "Or," he grinned, leaning forward now and indicating Patter's obvious girth. "Are pumpkins fruits? I never can remember."

Patters' baby face tightened just a bit, that and the slight narrowing of his eyes were the only indication Tony had gotten to him. "Still the jokester, aren't you DiNozzo? Well, you won't be laughing long, funny boy. I'm assuming you received my messages."

The interrogation continued from there, but Patters refused to say more, and after only 10 minutes, he suddenly stood up, knocking his chair over backward. "Guard," he called. "I'm done playing with my friends. Take me back to my cell." As he left the room, he turned once more and with a chilling look directed at Tony, he managed one more taunt. "Just beware. You really are next."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

On the way back to NCIS headquarters, Tony immediately began arguing with Gibbs, explaining all the reasons he did not need protective custody. Gibbs, driving this time, ignored all of them. As they pulled up and headed toward the building he stopped and faced Tony. "You done, DiNozzo?" Tony started again, but Gibbs just shook his head as they entered the building. "That's what I thought. You're done."

The rest of the afternoon sped by too quickly for DiNozzo. He felt helpless as Gibbs met with Director Vance, who came out and seemed to glare down at him from the mezzanine above. He didn't care for it when Ziva was summoned to the Director's office and returned a few minutes later, smiling and twirling her gun. He liked it even less when Gibbs disappeared, returning 30 minutes later with another NCIS agent in tow.

"Tony, Ziva, McGee, meet Bryce Mallory. He's been assigned as lead agent for your protective detail, DiNozzo. Ziva, you'll back him up." Bryce was tall, taller than Tony by about two and a half inches and solidly built. He stuck out his hand, shaking first Tony's, then Ziva and Tim's hands. "Sucks, doesn't it DiNozzo?"

Two hours later, as Tony claimed the only bedroom in the safe house that had its own attached bathroom, he agreed – this sucked. He was used to being the one providing the protection, not supposedly needing it. It didn't help that Ziva would hardly let him out of her sight. She was obviously taking her assignment very seriously; either that or she was just enjoying annoying the hell out of him.

Bryce Mallory was very business-like. He didn't respond much to Tony's witticisms or movie references and only provided the most basic answers when questioned about his background. He reminded Tony of nothing more than a beefed up McGee, especially when he set up his computer with the same zest Tim had for the things. Tony was great with computers, much better than he sometimes let on, but he didn't have a love affair with them to the point McGee did.

The long night got longer when both Ziva and Bryce overruled not only Tony's choice for dinner – pizza – but also opted to watch the news instead of a movie Tony preferred they see. "What 'cha gotta watch news on TV for? You've got all your computers set up to catch any little tiny bit of new information. Since we're stuck here, might as well enjoy it at least." But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Finally Tony gave up and turned in early. He did manage one taunt as he headed off for a hot shower, directed at Ziva. "At least I get to sleep tonight. You two babysitters be sure and stay up now."

For the next two weeks, a pattern developed. But it was only a pattern if you were trained to look for it. Ziva and Bryce basically stayed with Tony everywhere he went, and they varied their routes to and from the office, as well as the vehicles they drove in. Gibbs and McGee took turns watching Ian Patters during the night, and during the day, someone from the team was always at least aware of his location and what he was doing, even if they didn't have eyes on him at all times.

So when the next murder took place, they were all incredibly frustrated. The report came in at 0700 hours, again on a Tuesday, and they were at the scene by 0730. This time there were two bodies, Ensign Franklin Klever and 1st Lieutenant Rebecca O'Bryant. They were found in an abandoned building in a seedier part of town. Klever was dead, killed in the same fashion as the others – but not mutilated to the same extent as the first two. But the Lieutenant had not only been cut more brutally than any of the others before, her autopsy revealed sexual assault as well.

Gibb's face when he came up from autopsy was as angry as any they had ever seen. Slamming his fist on a desk his voice could be heard across the room. "Tell me you've got something." Even Bryce Mallory, normally one of the coolest people Tony had ever met, jumped. Bryce's eyebrows rose slightly as he watched Team Gibbs slide into action.

McGee was first, pulling up first Ensign Klever's picture and service record. "Ensign Klever, stationed at Quantico. Was starting a rotation in counterintelligence. Nothing unusual boss. Good record, well liked. Just got married 18 months ago. Didn't appear to know Lieutenant O'Bryant."

Ziva pulled the next picture up, the one of the dead lieutenant. "It is as McGee said, Gibbs. She was just on shore leave for the night; they were heading back to sea in two days. This would have been her 3rd tour of duty. Exemplary record, not married, her parents are deceased, she is—that is, was, close to a brother. Her brother is a writer, has had two novels published."

Gibbs was standing slightly to the side of his team and watching them as they made their presentations. He found he sometimes learned as much about the investigation from seeing them discover something as by any other method. So he was the first to notice when Timothy McGee's eyes suddenly narrowed and he took a slight step closer to the screen. But they were all surprised when McGee turned on his heel and ran from the room.

Tony watched in astonishment as McGee ran down the stairs, disappearing without a word. "What the hell was that all about?" Gibbs turned back toward the picture of the young woman in front of them. "Not sure DiNozzo, but he'll tell us when he's ready. Whatta' you got?"

They all turned back toward the big screen as Tony clicked the next picture. "Financials, boss. Just like before, nothing stands out. Both were living well within their means. Klever was a little upside down on a mortgage he and his wife took out last year, but in today's economy, who isn't?" As the discussion continued, none of them noticed the very slight smile on Agent Bryce Mallory's face as Timothy left the room.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Ducky looked up as McGee came into the autopsy room. "Yes, Timothy, can I do something for you?" he asked as McGee stopped in front of the lockers, apparently looking for something. "Can I help you find something?"

"Not something, Ducky, someone. I need to see Lieutenant O'Bryant, now that she's cleaned up." At the grisly murder scene, her face had been so badly cut and smeared with blood and dirt it had been impossible for anyone to see what she looked like.

Ducky came over to stand next to the obviously distraught young agent. "What is it Timothy? What has you so upset?" As Tim continued to stand, stiff and unmoving, but staring at the refrigerated lockers, Ducky moved toward one. "She's here, my boy, in # 12. Let me pull her out for you."

Ducky moved forward and opened # 12, pulling the slab with the young woman's body on it out where the agent could see it. Tim seemed to shake himself slightly, and then cautiously moved over to where he could stare down at the body bag. With a hand that was unaccountably trembling, he unzipped it and stared at the young woman's face. While the cuts had caused a great deal of blood at the scene, the wounds themselves had been somewhat superficial and Ducky had done an outstanding job of repairing the damage. He looked from the young woman's face, to Timothy's which drained of all color as he continued staring. "What's wrong Timothy? What do you see?" Ducky asked gently. Both of them jumped slightly when Gibb's voice joined them.

"Sarah. He's seeing Sarah, aren't you Tim?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

_**A/N:**__ I know, not a lot of action in this chapter, but I need the background to set things in motion. Should get more interesting in chapter three, which I hope to have up by the end of the week. _


	3. Someone GOTS To Pay!

_A/N: I appreciate the traffic this story is getting as well as the alerts, favorite story status and the reviews. I will try to respond to each of your reviews as soon as possible. I had hoped the real action would start in this chapter, but I needed just a little more set up. Not to worry though, it is coming for sure in Chapter 4._

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS.**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Three**

"**Someone GOTS To Pay!"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Tony DiNozzo turned toward Ziva as Gibbs left the room. They both knew he was going after Tim. Taking the clicker, Ziva moved the screens backward until the face of young Rebecca O'Bryant was showing. "Think Tony. She remembers me of someone. Who is it? I just cannot quite….."

Tony corrected her English without giving it a second thought. "Reminds you of someone, Ziva; reminds you."

"That is what I said, DiNozzo. But who?" Tony peered at her thoughtfully for a moment, and then almost jumped out of his skin when Bryce suddenly appeared at his shoulder.

"Whoever it is, she's pretty," Bryce commented. "Don't do that Mallory!" Tony demanded. "Gives me the creeps. You're always sneaking up on me. Yeecchhh." And Tony shook himself all over.

"Makes me a good agent, DiNozzo. Keeps everyone else on their toes. You never know where I might be; where I might sneak in from." Ziva turned toward him with a slight frown, as his words seemed to take on a faintly menacing meaning. However, Bryce then grinned, a remarkably charming and boyish grin. "See? Works every time." He sauntered a short distance away.

Tony continued to shudder slightly, but ignored the man, squinting at the picture of the Lieutenant from several different angles. Suddenly, he straightened up. "Sarah," he whispered. "She looks like Sarah McGee."

The elevator doors opened and McGee exited, followed by Ducky and Gibbs. "You just now figured that out, DiNozzo?"

Ducky looked at the picture on the plasma and nodded, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "Hmm, yes, I see it more now. It was harder for me to pick up when I was working on the unfortunate young lady's face. Rather remarkable really. Reminds me of a case in Edinburgh, oh, many years back. At least three of our victims had doppelgangers. That case was extraordinary, let me tell you…" however, Ducky's voice trailed off as he noted that all the agents, including Bryce Mallory were now fixated on the plasma.

"Yes, well, Jethro, you will be wanting to hear what I and young Abigail have determined from our rather disturbing study of the Patters' file, don't you? He IS very disturbed, Jethro, although I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah, Duck, when he started slicing and dicing people we kind of had that part figured out." Gibbs' voice could be exceedingly dry when he wanted it to.

"The profile does show he is quite capable of desiring revenge, and holding onto that revenge for a very long time. It shows a man possessed of the ability to remain patient and wait for circumstances to play out in his favor. Circumstances that I believe may have finally changed for him when his brother, Ian Patters, returned from overseas. Ian Patters used to be much more controlled; he took the rage both the brothers likely had built up from their childhood abuses and neglect and channeled it. It is what made him a very good Navy Seal. But the same rage had nowhere to go when that channel went dry. Though I don't have proof, I suspect he turned it inward, thus his likely descent into drug use. And if his brother told him he had to murder in order to continue with his drug use, Ian would not hesitate."

Agent McGee cleared his throat. "Ducky? There's just one problem with that theory. He didn't do it."

"Didn't do what, Timothy?" Ducky inquired.

"Didn't kill these two." Gibbs responded. "He didn't kill them, because 'Timothy' and I had eyes on Ian Patters last night between at 0200 and 0400 when you say the deaths occurred. He was passed out on his couch, in full view. Went down about 1100 and never moved until 0600 this morning. Wasn't him."

McGee moved over to his desk and grabbed a report. "In fact, we've been tailing him for almost two weeks now, and other than being a disgusting sort of pervert, he hasn't really done anything overtly horrible. A drug deal or two, but nothing like what we're looking for."

Gibbs sighed in frustration and then began to regroup. He quickly made assignments, instructing DiNozzo to keep digging through the personal lives of all their recent victims, looking for connections. McGee was tasked with doing a more thorough search of the financial records. As the two agents headed to their respective desks, Gibbs headed for the elevator. "David, with me. We're going to pay John Patters another visit. Ian may not have killed those two last night, but my gut tells me they're still involved."

The day passed quickly as everyone went about their respective tasks. Abby continued to run tests on the evidence, but as in the cases before nothing conclusive showed up. Tony ran down every possible lead that might show a connection between any of the victims, but aside from the obvious naval connection and the warning notes, there was nothing. Tim had similar experiences as he worked with the banks and financial institutions.

Finally, at 1800, the sound of the elevator ding broke the silence that had reigned most of the afternoon and into the early evening in the normally noisy bullpen area. Both Tony and Tim looked up and were glad to see Gibbs and Ziva exit. The only other person on and off the elevator all day had been Agent Mallory, as he took a few breaks from his protective detail assignment. DiNozzo had been glad to see him leave.

"Anything boss?" Tony asked, standing up and stretching, rolling his neck to try and get the kinks out. "Did Patters have much to say? I thought maybe he'd open up to Agent Ziiivvaaa Daaviidd," Tony drawled her name out in the manner he knew irritated her the most. "After all, he really likes the cute young things like our Ziva." His outburst earned him an elbow in the ribs as Ziva passed by him to put her pack on her desk. "Oof," was his inelegant response.

Gibbs sat down at his desk and leaned back. "He didn't admit to anything, not even that he's been in touch with Ian, though the records and surveillance tapes confirm that he has been. " Ziva also sat down and rested her arms on her desk, her chin in her hand. "He is a low life scum pail, and I know he knew something about the murders, but he said nothing, just laughed when Gibbs accused him."

"Scum pail?" McGee had stood up and was leaning on Ziva's desk. "I think she means scum bucket, McWordsmith," Tony grinned. "Ziva, are you ever going to figure out our idioms? No wait, don't even try, they're part of what makes it so much fun to tease you." Ziva just tiredly threw a pencil at him.

Gibbs face grew serious as he powered his computer down and stood. "He did have one more message though. When he was leaving, he said he'd just been kidding before, but now we should really beware. He's still involved, I just don't know how yet."

With that Gibbs headed toward the elevator; then turned toward his tired team. "Where's Mallory?"

"Here, boss," came the reply, as Agent Mallory moved from around the corner. "Just waiting where I'd be out of the way, until it was time to leave." DiNozzo wearily stood up, gathering his things. "I don't suppose, boss, you'd let me just go home tonight? I mean, come on, there's absolutely no evidence this thing is pointed at me anymore than anyone else. I don't need a babysitter."

Gibbs hit the button for the elevator, then held the doors as the rest of the team scrambled to get inside before they closed. "Sorry DiNozzo. Babysitting stays until further notice. David, Mallory, don't let him out of your sight. And everyone, take an extra hour in the morning. Get some rest. That's an order," he held his hand up to stop the protests.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

That evening, Timothy McGee picked up a chicken salad, then headed home. He couldn't get the image of the young woman, Rebecca O'Bryant, out of his head. Finally, knowing he wouldn't sleep until he talked to Sarah, he called her. His relief when she picked up on the second ring was inordinate. After talking for a few minutes, he asked her if anything unusual had been going on. Though she was reluctant to mention it, Tim pulled information from her until he finally got her to admit she had felt like someone was watching her.

"Sarah, I'm coming to get you," was his response as soon as she uttered the words. "Waverly isn't that far, I'll be there in a few hours." But Sarah could be as stubborn as her big brother, and refused, stating she felt perfectly safe. "I'm almost finished with this term, and I'm not leaving just before finals." Tim argued, but knew he had lost when she simply declared she wouldn't stay at her apartment, but would take herself somewhere Tim couldn't find her. He knew she would, and that she had time to do so before he could get her. After making her promise to be careful and to let him know of anything unusual that happened, he finally hung up, still not happy with the results.

_A/N: I put Sarah McGee's home in Waverly, Maryland after doing some research trying to find out where she lives. One of the Wikipedia sites states Tim McGee's sister, Sarah, went to college at Waverly College, but I couldn't find it. I did find a Catholic Boy's school in Australia, called Waverly College, but didn't think that could be it. Therefore, I decided Sarah McGee lives in Waverly, which I understand is an area in or near Baltimore. Hope this is not too confusing. Since I don't live anywhere near the east coast/ Washington, D.C. area, I don't have a good idea of towns and locations. Tim McGee is supposed to live I Silver Springs, so it didn't seem too much of a stretch that he could reach her in a few hours._

McGee finished talking with his sister and finally headed for bed, planning to report the conversation to Gibbs in the morning. How was he to know that all hell would break loose before he would get the chance?

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs arrived at the office at 0700, and was surprised to see that for once his team had followed his instructions. None of them were in yet. He turned on his computer, pulling up the emails that he had finally started checking first thing each morning. Before he got through even a half dozen of them, his team began arriving. Ziva and Tony, with Agent Mallory in tow were first in. This time, Tony brought coffees for everyone. As they were getting settled, Gibb's phone rang. From the look on his face, Tony knew it was serious.

"Another body, boss? Male or female this time?" Gibbs looked mildly shell shocked as he hung up the phone, just as Tim McGee got off the elevator. "The call was for you McGee. Do you know a Connie Bailey?"

Tim stopped short, his face registering his surprise. "Connie?" he frowned. "She's one of my neighbors; why boss?" He slowly came the rest of the way into the bullpen; dropping is backpack beside his desk and easing down into his chair.

Gibbs sighed. "She just called here to report a murder. She found a body, in the laundry room of your apartment building. Since she knows you are a "Navy cop" as she put it, she called here to report it." Stunned silence greeted Gibbs' words. He stood, heading for the elevator. "What are you waiting for? Gear up; we're checking it out."

The team arrived at McGee's apartment complex and flashed their IDs at the local LEOs. Explaining briefly why they are there, Gibbs pushed his way past the crime tape. Tim slowly followed, reluctant to see who had been murdered. The city's medical examiner had already turned the body over and was checking her liver temperature. Looking down, Tim closed his eyes. "Boss, that's a woman who lives a floor above me. I don't remember her name, and I think she's a school teacher. She's not navy at all. Are you sure this is connected to our case?"

Tony stepped around both Gibbs and McGee, and started poking into corners, searching the area. It only took him a moment to discover what he was looking for. "It's related," he stated in a subdued voice. Pointing at the sign half hidden behind one of the washing machines, Tony waited while Ziva took pictures, and then pulled it out. "There's no doubt, it's related." He held the handmade sign up for everyone to see the stark word. In block letters, cut from magazines as before, the word almost leapt of the page at them.

"**B-Ware!"**

Gibbs had his phone out and was reporting to the Director before he finished reading the word. The snap of his phone shutting was the signal the rest of the team seemed to be waiting for.

Without being given assignments, they sprang into action; Tony and Ziva canvassing the scene, taking pictures and collecting evidence; McGee, talking to the neighbors, starting with the very distraught Connie Bailey, who had had to lie down in the lobby after discovering the horrendous scene. Gibbs instructed the medical examiner to stop and wait for Ducky to arrive and finish processing the body, and advised the police sergeant they were taking the case over.

Hours later, the team gathered in the bullpen to try and piece together what had happened. Tim had spent the day talking to neighbors and tracing the recent activities of the victim, one Ashley Comstock. As he had thought, she was an elementary school teacher, was in her mid-thirties and wasn't married. She had been quiet and Tim had only spoken to her in passing. But none of them could miss the resemblance she also had to Tim's sister, Sarah. Though not looking as much like her as the last victim, her coloring and appearance were close enough to not be considered a coincidence.

As the long day wore on, the team grew more and more frustrated. Try as they might, the just couldn't connect any of the dots that strung the cases together. The only things linking them were the nature of the killings and the warning notes.

Tiredly, Tim continued to comb through various financial documents. It took him a moment to register that a new email had popped up in his inbox. Unlike Gibbs, who routinely ignored his email except for his daily early morning check, Tim was meticulous about checking it and usually responded immediately every time he heard the small chirping sound his computer made when a new email arrived. But this day had been hard on all of them; he was still mildly in shock from the grisly discovery in his own apartment building. So it took him a minute to check his inbox. But when he did, the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up.

"Boss, look at this," Tim's voice sounded strained. Gibbs, Tony and Ziva all quickly gathered around his computer, watching as the message appeared. If the others had felt menacing, this one was ominous.

"**You were warned. You shouldn't have ignored it. **

**B-WARE. I'm not kidding this time. **

**Someone GOTS to pay."**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

_A/N: I know, I know. An evil place to stop. Not to worry, chapter 4 is all written and I am editing it now. I will post it very, very soon. Like before the night is over. _

_Comments, suggestions and reviews are very welcome. Thanks for reading. _


	4. Anytime Now, Would Be Good, Gibbs

_A/N: Here is chapter four, submitted before the end of the night, as promised. I'm working on the next chapter and hopefully will be able to post it next week sometime. _

_I am not a computer geek, so any information I have used for that part of the story has come from doing a web search on certain terms. I am unsure if any if the computer scenes will really make sense, so I ask your indulgence as you read through those parts. Hopefully, any mistakes will not detract from the overall story. For everyone waiting for the hurt part of the hurt/comfort to begin, this is your chapter. And I promise-it will get worse before it gets better._

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS.**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Four**

"**Anytime Now, Would Be Good, Gibbs"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs read the warning and slammed his fist down on the desk. "Damn it. Where did that come from? McGee, do your thing and trace it. Now!"

McGee was already frantically typing, opening a program designed to trace such emails. But even as his fingers flew over the keyboard he knew it was pointless. "I'm trying Boss." Before long he shook his head in frustration and defeat. "Boss, the IPS address is part of a large ISPS group, and it's embedded deeply inside too many programs. It's also been rerouted too often for me to follow it. I can put a tracer on it, but it'll take time, and there's no guarantee I'll get back to the original sender."

It was at that moment Director Vance wondered into the bullpen area. "Something I should know about Gibbs?" his deep voice sounded impatient. He leaned over McGee's shoulder, first reading the email that was still open in one window. As he watched McGee's efforts to trace it, he made a suggestion. McGee's eyes widened and he immediately closed the program he'd been using, and brought up the one Vance had proposed. It grew quiet, with no sound except the ones made by McGee's flying fingers. For a moment, it seemed as if they were getting close, then the lines of computer script that had been flowing across the screen abruptly stopped.

"No, no, no, no!" McGee's voice rose in pitch with every word. "I've been hacked boss." And as they watched, the screen Tim had been working on suddenly went black. Nothing remained except the message, still flashing its threatening words.

"What does this mean, McGee?" Ziva asked. "You cannot trace it now? I thought you were able to find anything on your computer."

"What it means, Ziva," Tony couldn't quite keep the glee from his voice, "Is that I'm not the one in need of a babysitter anymore!"

Gibbs whacked his senior agent on the back of his head, but nodded. "You're obnoxious, DiNozzo but this time you're right. Agent Mallory, you and Ziva will switch your protective detail and will keep McGee under observation at all times. You'll be moving to a new safe house." He turned and found Bryce Mallory standing just behind all of them. "Mallory, make the arrangements. McGee, have you talked to your sister lately?"

McGee tiredly nodded. "Yeah, boss. I talked to her last night and she's ok. But she did say she felt like someone was watching her. I wanted to go get her, but she refused."

Gibbs considered for a moment. "Get her on the phone." Tim dialed her number and was glad when Sarah took the call. He'd been afraid she might avoid him. Gibbs took the phone almost as soon as she answered. He explained in no uncertain terms that both she and McGee were now considered targets and that she was to stay put until a police officer arrived to escort her to NCIS. Being Gibbs, he would not take no for an answer.

Mallory made a few phone calls, and huddled with Ziva, making arrangements to protect both Tim and Sarah McGee. He quietly and efficiently reported the location of the new safe house to Gibbs, then suggested that perhaps he and Ziva could take Tim on out, and have either Tony or Gibbs bring Sarah in when she arrived. Gibbs nodded, and indicated by a tilt of his head that Tony should take on that duty.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

A few hours later, Tony was awakened by a tap on his shoulder. His head shot up, from where it had been resting on his folded arms, which were on top of the files still on his desk. "What? Who?" he was momentarily disoriented. "It's just me, DiNozzo," Sarah McGee smiled down at him. "Gibbs tells me you're my escort out to the safe house."

Tony stood up and stretched, still trying to shake the sleep out of his eyes. A huge yawn muffled his response, and he grew slightly embarrassed as Sarah laughed out loud, then using a Kleenex snagged from the corner of Ziva's desk, wiped at the tiny bit of drool evident in the corner of his mouth. "I don't know, Tony if I want to be seen with you or not. You look pretty scruffy."

Gibbs chose that moment to come bounding down the stairs, from where he had been updating the director. "He usually looks scruffy this time of day, Sarah." He gave her a quick hug followed by his close scrutiny. "Anything more come to mind since we talked?" Sarah scrunched her face up, thinking hard. "Not really; I thought it was just my imagination that someone was following me, but maybe not. I'll let Tim know if I think of anything else. Can I stay out at the house tomorrow? I've got a lot of studying to do."

Gibbs and Tony both shook their heads. "Nope, safe houses aren't safe if you're there alone. You can study here; I'll find you a nice quiet interrogation room where we can study you while you're studying without you seeing us." Tony waggled his eyebrows up and down in a leer, as he slung his arm around Sarah's shoulder and walked her out. "Night boss. See you in the morning."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

After dropping Sarah off, touching base with Tim, Ziva and Mallory, and checking the property around the safe house himself, just to make sure all was secure, Tony headed for home. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than a shower and a pizza, followed by his bed, in that order. He called ahead, ordering his favorite pizza, and deciding he could get the shower in before it arrived; he drove a little faster than the law allowed, screeching into his parking place and then racing up the stairs to his first floor apartment.

Tony checked around, as was his habit and finding nothing out of place, he took his weapon off, and put it and his handcuffs in the drawer in the desk by the front door. Dropping his cell phone, wallet and keys on top of the desk, he went to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and took a few sips while going through two days worth of mail, then hit the shower. Dressed in his favorite sweats, slippers and a soft, black t-shirt, he was toweling his hair dry when the doorbell rang. He could smell the pizza from across the living room. Dropping the towel, he grabbed his wallet, fished out a $20 bill and opened the door, a huge smile on his handsome face.

The smile changed into one of total shock as he was faced with two armed pizza delivery men. "Hey fella's," he quipped, "Don't shoot; I've got your money. And your tip's right here." Tony kept his eyes on the two men as he reached behind him, as if to grab the wallet still lying on top of the desk.

A number of things happened simultaneously. He heard the sound of a pop, and recognized a silencer. He lunged for his own gun, just out of reach in the drawer slightly behind him and to his right, and he felt his left leg give way as the bullet slammed into his thigh. As he fell, he frantically tried to come up with his weapon, but his fingertips just grazed the drawer and his yank simply caused the desk to topple over, adding to the confusion.

The second gunman, the one who hadn't fired, dropped the pizza box, and kicked the door shut behind him. He quickly knelt on Tony's back, pinning him to the floor. "Nice shooting, Adam," he nodded at the first man. "Now get his gun and give me his handcuffs.

Tony struggled, but realized it was pointless when the man leaned harder on his back, then with Adam's help, pulled his arms behind him and cuffed him. Only then did the pressure on his back ease. Tony was yanked upward by his arms and hauled back to sit on his butt. He stifled a yell as pain shot through his leg.

The man who had held him down stepped away, leaving Adam holding onto him. He leaned down and grabbed the damp towel Tony had been using. Folding it, he placed it over the wound in Tony's leg. Pressing down, he applied pressure, apparently not willing for Tony to bleed out in front of him. "Nice to meet you DiNozzo," he smiled a sickening smile, as he continued to staunch the blood flow. He appeared to be a few inches shorter than Tony, and had blond hair and blue eyes. And he was incredibly good looking. That incongruous thought ran through Tony's mind as he fought to figure out what had just happened. "Since we're going to be spending a lot of time together, you might as well know who I am. I'm Blake, Blake Mehi." Tony started at the man for a moment, nonplussed by the introduction. He figured it did not bode well for his survival if these two clowns weren't bothering to hide their identity. Tony's eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, forgive me if I don't shake your hand. Not that I'm not delighted to meet you. Now what the hell do you want?"

Blake laughed out loud. "This is going to be more fun that I thought, DiNozzo. But we're wasting time, so I'll fill you in later." He got up, leaving the wet compress in place. Disappearing into the bedroom, he returned, this time with on one of Tony's good Gucci shirts in his hands. He moved over in front of him, and slowly ripped the shirt into several strips of cloth. He ignored Tony's indignant remark about the shirt costing more than he'd ever see in a month's worth of pay, and efficiently wrapped the strips around his leg, securing the towel in place.

Standing, with a nod to Adam, who still held onto Tony's arms, he quickly tucked Tony's gun into his pants pocket, then retrieved the gun Adam held out. Pointing it at Tony, he added, "Now be a good boy and keep quiet. I don't mind shooting you again, but would rather not have to carry you."

Tony felt himself being hauled to his feet and bit back another grunt of pain. Going to the hall closet, Blake rummaged through it and found a coat long enough that it hid the makeshift bandage. He put the coat around Tony's shoulders; then both men moved to either side of him. "Now DiNozzo, You're not gonna cause me any trouble, are you?" And he punctuated his words by pressing the gun into his side. "We're going outside, and get you into our car. If anyone questions you, act drunk. We're just a couple of buddies, helping a friend. You got that?" Another hard push with the gun made Tony decide that for now at least, cooperation was his best choice.

"Sure Blake, you're the man in charge. Whatever you say." Tony's mind finished the sentence. '_For now, until Gibbs gets a hold of you anyway.'_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs looked up from his desk as the elevator ding announced the first of the morning's arrivals. Ziva, Tim, Bryce and Sarah all got off together. They were laughing over something and he noticed how Bryce playfully punched Tim in the arm. "That's too funny; I can't believe it actually happened." He shook his head as he made eye contact with Gibbs and nodded, indicating an uneventful night.

Tim stopped at his desk and turned back toward Bryce. "It happened, but don't bother asking Tony. He's still denying it." Ziva just shook her head and offered to get Sarah McGee situated for the day. On her way out of the bullpen she stopped and looked around. "Speaking of Tony, has anyone seen him? I called him this morning to ask him to bring something in and he did not answer." A few shared looks and shakes of the head confirmed no one had heard from DiNozzo.

Gibbs glanced at the clock, and then his eyes again met Bryce's. "I wouldn't worry. He's not late yet, and he was pretty wiped out yesterday." Bryce nodded. "Yeah. He looked like a Zombie when he dropped Miss McGee off at 1930 last night. Still, if he doesn't check in soon…" his voice trailed off.

Tim also looked at the clock. For some reason his guts started churning. Tony wasn't late, but he always answered his phone. "Wait up Ziva," he called, following the Israeli out of the bullpen. "What time did you call him?" Gibbs couldn't hear the answer. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but his own guts were in an uproar. Even though he had agreed with DiNozzo that he wasn't the target, something still just didn't feel right.

The elevator dinged at that moment and both he and Bryce turned toward it, expecting to see DiNozzo's lanky frame. But instead, Abby swept into the room. "Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" she ran as fast as her platform heels would allow and threw herself into his arms. "I had a terrible dream last night. Where's Tony? I need to see him!" Gibbs slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, Abs, I think we'd all like to see him right about now."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

As soon as the door closed behind Adam, Tony gingerly stood, carefully testing his leg. Though it hurt like fire, if he was careful, he could limp on it and at least stay upright. _'What I wouldn't give to see Gibbs right about now,' _he thought, as he checked the door, unsurprised to find it tightly locked. Checking his watch, glad he still wore one, even though McGee insisted they were superfluous in this day and age of cell phones and tablets, he saw it was about an hour past the time he should have showed up at the office. He wondered how long before they figured out something was wrong and checked his apartment. Though they wouldn't find much. Adam had cleaned up, setting the desk back up and straightening things that had been strewn around. A little bleach water had at least disguised the obvious blood stain on his floor and they had been careful to use gloves before touching anything in his apartment. They had left his wallet, keys and cell phone on the desk, taking only his gun.

Tony had hoped to run into someone that could at least report to Gibbs that they had seen him being "helped" out of his apartment, but no one had been in sight. The best he could hope for was that one of his nosy neighbors might have been watching from behind a curtain. The vehicle Adam had pushed Tony into had been a nondescript dark sedan. Blake had driven the speed limit and though he had been chatty, had not shared any information that had shed any light on who they were or where they were going.

After driving around for what seemed like hours, they had pulled up to a modest ranch style home with a basement, in a neighborhood Tony was unfamiliar with, though he had noted they had driven through Silver Springs and Kensington. He wasn't sure, since he wasn't as familiar with the Kensington area as some others, but he thought they'd driven in a pretty round-about manner. He had recognized Glenmont and was sure they had ended up in Laurel, but he had no idea where in Laurel they were. The garage door had opened and the car fit inside easily enough. By this time it was close to 0600 and he was beyond exhausted. He knew he'd drifted off a few times during the long night, though he had fought to stay conscious and aware.

Tony had been brought to full wakefulness however, when he was dragged from the back seat as soon as the garage door opened. This time when he'd put weight on his injured leg, he hadn't been able to completely smother his grunt of pain. Glancing down, he could see it had bled through the makeshift bandage. Blake had seen it as well and had pushed Tony into a kitchen chair, then had cleaned the wound and re-bandaged it, this time using rubbing alcohol, which stung and burned, and a gauze pad. He had wrapped it with an ace bandage and then had offered Tony some breakfast and coffee. Tony had wanted to turn down the breakfast, since he wasn't sure his stomach could handle it, but knowing he should eat, he did so without a word and accepted the coffee as well. One sip had him grimacing and shaking his head. "This is worse than Gibbs' coffee and that takes some doing." Blake had laughed, but said nothing else. Tony tried one more time to figure out what they wanted. "You'll love meeting Gibbs. In fact, we could call him right now and you could tell him what you want; since you don't seem to want to share that with me right now."

"Don't worry DiNozzo, you'll find out soon enough. And I guarantee you, you really don't want to know what's happening any sooner than you have to." Blake had stood then, and gestured for Adam to take him down the stairs. That's when he'd been shoved into a closed-in room in the basement.

After ascertaining that he could at least walk if he had to, Tony looked around, taking stock of his surroundings. A quick check revealed nothing but a single bed, with a mattress placed over a slab of plywood – no box springs, a pillow with no case and a cheap blanket. There was no closet, no window and literally nothing else in the room. He had painfully managed to ease his way down to the floor and look under the bed, as much as the poor lighting from the single bulb in the ceiling would allow, but the floor was bare. With nothing else to do, Tony decided to take whatever time he had and try to rest. Easing down on the bed, he rolled the pillow up and put it under his leg, trying to elevate it as much as possible. Not needing the blanket he lay on his back, thinking things through and trying to figure out what to do. But before long, exhaustion overruled the throbbing in his leg and his eyes closed as sleep finally claimed him. His last conscious thought was _'Anytime now, would be good, Gibbs.'_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

_**A/N: **__More action to follow, as well as more hurt Tony and worried Gibbs. I hope people are enjoying this story. Would love to hear your comments._


	5. Where the Hell Is My Agent!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS.**

_**A/N: Ok, more action in this chapter. Lots of hurt Tony for you bloodthirsty types. Please read, and please review. Reviews are the fuel that fires my muse.**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Five**

"**Where the Hell Is My Agent?"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Very Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was annoyed. No, annoyed wasn't quite the right word; after all, he was usually annoyed with someone. He wanted to be annoyed, that was it. He wanted to be annoyed with DiNozzo just for for being late. And he was definitely late. Gibbs' eyes traveled to the clocks on the wall for about the 100th time in the past 10 minutes. Tony should have checked in at least 2 hours ago. And in spite of all the ribbing he took about being late, and being irresponsible, in all honesty, Tony was rarely late to the office, and almost never without calling first.

Gibbs had just sent McGee and Agent Mallory out to Tony's apartment to check things out and was waiting on their report. Sarah McGee remained safely in an interrogation room, studying for her finals, and so far unaware that Tony had apparently gone missing. Ziva was pacing back and forth, calling DiNozzo's phone every few minutes and leaving him increasingly angry messages.

Abby had planted herself in Tony's chair and was glaring at his phone. Periodically she could be heard ordering it to ring, then sitting with her hand hovering over the receiver. After about 10 minutes of that, to her own astonishment, the phone's shrill tone rang out. Without thinking, Abby grabbed the phone and shouted into it: "Where are you Tony! How dare you worry us like this?"

All eyes in the bullpen turned toward her. Gibbs jumped up and in two long steps was at the desk. He was set to join her in her admonishment of Tony, when suddenly her eyes went wide and she started shaking her head. Holding the phone out to Gibbs, she moaned, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Not Tony. Not again!"

Gibbs grabbed the received and barked into it. "Gibbs. Who is this? Where the hell is my agent?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Tony DiNozzo woke when the door to his closed-in room opened. He squinted, trying to orient himself; surprised at how much the small amount of light coming from the 60-watt bulb hurt his eyes. He could tell in just a few seconds that he'd developed a fever while he was sleeping.

"On your feet, DiNozzo. Someone wants to talk to you." Motioning to Adam, who was standing in the doorway, to help him, Blake Mehi grabbed Tony by an arm and hauled him to his feet. Tony's face went white when he put even the smallest amount of weight on his bad leg.

Blake's earlier concern for Tony's wound seemed to have disappeared. "Hurts, huh? Well, too bad." And he and Adam each took one of Tony's arms over their shoulder and began pulling him up the stairs. When they reached the kitchen at the top, they dumped him in a chair; then Blake produced the cuffs they had removed when they had first gotten to the house several hours earlier, and secured his wrists behind his back again. "Don't want you trying any funny stuff Agent DiNozzo. I've heard all about how you've escaped difficult situations before; and let me tell you, that ain't going to happen this time. You won't leave here unless I say you do. And I wouldn't count on it if I were you."

_**(A/N: Thanks to Dark Rose for pointing out I never dealt with the handcuffs being taken off Tony before.)**_

By this time, Tony's leg was throbbing in time with his accelerated heart rate, and he could feel the blood begin to soak through the ace bandage that had been placed there previously. Before he could really collect his thoughts, his head was yanked back by his hair. Adam held him in an iron grip, while Blake squatted down in front of him.

"You wanted to know what's going on, didn't you, DiNozzo. Well, I'm about to tell you. But first, you gotta convince that stubborn boss of yours that you're still alive. He's on the phone and won't negotiate with me until he knows you're not dead."

Tony managed a grin. "You're as stupid as you are ugly, Blake." Tony had a feeling the man was very proud of his good looks, so he took the opportunity to insult him. "Gibbs won't negotiate with you whether I'm breathing or not."

Blake just took his cell phone, punched the hold button, and disguising his voice, spoke to the very pissed of agent on the other end of the line. "Gibbs. Your boy is here. He's a smart ass and about to find out it isn't a good idea to mess with me, but he's alive. Here, you talk to him."

Blake placed the phone alongside Tony's face, indicating he should confirm his statement. Tony just grinned again and shook his head. "That's not particularly funny, DiNozzo," Blake's handsome features were beginning to contort into a sneer.

It was at the moment Tony realized something. It took everything he had not to blurt out what he was thinking. When Blake screwed his face up like that, he suddenly had an uncanny resemblance to Bryce Mallory. Tony gulped, realizing that if what he thought was true, his entire team could be in more danger than any of them could possibly realize.

Adam yanked Tony's head back harder, and slapped him viciously across the face. Tony managed to keep himself from responding, even as his mind was racing. Would he do more good by keeping silent, or should he try to warn Gibbs. He really didn't have anything to base his suspicious on, except for the similarity in the two men's sneers. That—and his gut. Though he didn't trust his as much as he trusted Gibbs', he had learned not to ignore it.

But before he could make a decision, Blake took matters into his own hands. "You don't feel like talking? No problem, screaming works too." And Blake looked around for something; spotted a metal mallet used to tenderize meat, and without pausing, grabbed it, and slammed it directly onto the wound in Tony's thigh.

Though Tony told himself not to react, his body betrayed him. Before he could stop himself, a sound somewhere between a strangled gasp and a high pitched scream escaped his lips. He saw a red cloud before his eyes and knew his consciousness was fading. Since he'd already alerted Gibbs that he was there, and alive (Tony had no doubt his boss and mentor would recognize his voice, no matter how it sounded, and know it was him), he decided to go for it all.

"Boss…" what Tony meant to be a clear and concise report came out in a quiet and agonized whisper. "Boss, be careful. It's him. It's Ma…" but before he could finish the word, the same mallet that had brought such agony to his leg smashed into his temple, and he knew no more.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs had put the phone on speaker as soon as the call came in and had motioned for Ziva to start the trace. So they all heard the struggle going on; the sound of anguish in the Senior Agent's voice, followed by more whispered words from Tony. Then Gibbs heard a sound that sent dread coursing through his very soul. A horrible sound of something hard smashing into flesh and bone; then nothing.

Gibbs shouted into the receiver, unaware and uncaring of who might be listening. "You bastard! What have you done? What the hell do you want? Tell me now, so I can come and kill you!"

Leon Vance had heard the noise and had entered the bullpen in time to hear Gibbs shouting into the phone. Grabbing it away from his very pissed off team leader; he motioned for one of the other nearby agents to hold Gibbs back. "This is Director Vance. Who am I speaking to? What do you want?"

There were more muffled sounds, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. Then a cold voice came over the line. "What I want is my brother back. But since that isn't going to happen; the next best thing is to make his killers pay. And Agent DiNozzo here is going to help with that."

The line clicked and there was no other sound in the room besides the harsh dial tone. Gibbs angrily shrugged off the hold of the man who had been restraining him and looked pointedly at Ziva.

"No Gibbs. I could not trace the call. There was not enough time. I am sorry." Ziva closed her eyes; she too had heard the sounds her partner had made and felt her own gut clench. She knew firsthand what those sounds likely meant, and she hated the thought of her colleague and close friend suffering.

Abby slowly stood, coming over to Gibbs and wrapped her arms around him. She gave a shuddering sigh and hugged him. Gibbs was stiff with fury, but finally relaxed enough to return her hug. "He's gonna be ok, Jethro. Tony will be okay." No one knew for sure if Abby was reassuring herself or the rest of them, but all fervently hoped she was right.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

The blow to Tony's head had not been as hard as it had sounded over the phone. He regained consciousness, his eyes fluttering slightly as pain awakened him. He was being unceremoniously dragged down the stairs, and this time there wasn't even the slightest pretense at helping him. Blake was behind him, and was simply pulling him by his arms, which were still cuffed behind him, letting his legs and feet drop to the next stair as he was pulled downward. Adam followed along, with his gun out and trained on the helpless man.

Tony couldn't help but think that was a bit over dramatic. It wasn't like he was in any way going to be able to get to his feet and suddenly overpower them. While his head now throbbed, his thinking was crystal clear. The pain in his leg seemed to help him focus. But, deciding it would be in his best interest to feign unconsciousness, he bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from giving voice to the increasing pain. Sweat broke out on his forehead before the tortuous descent was finally halted.

Blake kicked the door open behind him; then Adam grabbed his legs and together they heaved Tony onto the bed, rolling him onto his stomach. Blake grabbed him by the hair again and wrenched his head up, but Tony, by sheer force of will, managed to remain limp and unresponsive. With a snarl, Blake let go and Tony heard them leave the room, the sound of the lock being turned being his cue that he was alone.

Waiting until he heard them reach the top of the stairs, Tony managed to maneuver around; dropping his legs over the side of the bed, and then finally, using the last of his strength, he heaved himself into a sitting position, with his back to the wall. As uncomfortable as it was to have his arms still wrenched behind him, the pressure on the bleeding wound in his leg was considerably more severe and he would do anything to relieve it, if even a little while.

Wishing he could wipe the sweat from his eyes, Tony tried to remember which rule said never give in to panic. Laying his aching head against the wall, he recounted what he knew. He knew someone had a vendetta, though he didn't know yet who it was against for sure. Though he was the one being held, Tony knew from past experience that didn't necessarily mean he was the prime target. He knew that Blake Mehi was in charge; he hadn't even heard Adam's last name. Adam struck him as a lackey, only there to do the heavy work. In fact, Tony was fairly sure he'd seen signs of drug use in Adam; which would explain his compliance. He was also sure that John and Ian Patters were somehow involved, though he couldn't work out how yet; since Ian had been under observation at the time of the last murder. That didn't mean Blake wasn't working under orders given by John Patters, however.

But the more Tony mulled it all over, that didn't feel right to him. Blake seemed to be the one in charge; he seemed to be the one wanting revenge. His anger was over the top; even though Blake had tried to appear calm and collected, Tony had seen directly what happened when something didn't go the way he wanted it to.

And then there was Bryce Mallory. Tony fully admitted to himself he didn't really like the guy; but didn't have anything to base it on. Snorting softly to himself, he realized mostly he didn't like him because he'd had to follow his orders. DiNozzos didn't really enjoy following orders from anyone. But as he continued to analyze the situation, he recognized that Mallory appeared to be a good agent; thorough and good at his job. McGee had hit it off with him from the first. Even Ziva had warmed up to him, though at first she had held him at arm's length. But his gut still told him Mallory was somehow involved. He just couldn't make the connection. He was so tired, and it was getting hard to concentrate.

Tony's head jerked, as he pulled himself back to full consciousness. He hadn't realized he'd drifted off. Looking down at his leg, he knew he was in trouble. If the bleeding didn't stop soon, he wouldn't be alive for Gibbs to rescue this time. Tony managed to shift his legs around until he was able to get the pillow pulled over on top of the freely bleeding wound. Crossing his right leg over the injury, he pressed down as hard as he could, biting his lower lip to keep from grunting out loud from the pain. Leaning his head back, he determined to hold on as long as possible.

"Gibbs, where are you?" He knew it was unreasonable to expect rescue anytime soon, but somehow he couldn't help hoping that the door would burst open, and Gibbs would be there, shouting orders and taking over. Right now, Tony wanted nothing more than for someone to take over and get him out of this mess.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs patted Abby's back one more time, then straightened up. "All right people, let's run it. We're going to have to figure this one out fast if we're going to get DiNozzo out of this mess."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

_**A/N: Ok, that's it for this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but it has been an incredibly busy week. But, the good news is, I have a much better idea of where this story is going to end up. I was struggling with the direction I wanted it to go, and it wasn't cooperating. I think the next chapters may come a little easier. I had hoped to post another chapter this weekend, but I'm not very far along on it – and it is such beautiful weather today, that I'll probably work in my garden instead of write. Sunny days here on the coast are rare. But I'll try to do a little this evening if possible.**_

_**Comments, suggestions and especially your Reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks to everyone who is reading.**_


	6. Take That, McGee

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS.**

_**A/N: Any medical errors are mine. Thanks to all who are reading. Shout out to my reviewers: it's weatherly time, Sparkiebunny, Belker, julie250, Long Live BRUCAS, DarkRose2006, TheNaggingCube, Deluded Visions, Shywr1ter, mbj, rittandy, tansysam, Megth, and DS2010.**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Six**

"**Take That, McGee" **

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs strode to the front of the bullpen and motioned Agent Ziva David to turn the big screen on. She did so with a click of the remote. But before she could start to review the evidence on the first screen, a picture showing their first victim, Petty Officer Daniel Dominique, Gibbs' desk phone rang.

Abby was closest to it and grabbed the receiver before it finished the first ring. "NCIS Very Special Agent in Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs' desk. Very Special Forensic Scientist Extraordinaire Abigail Scuito here. I command you, speak and deliver good news!" Gibbs' rolled his eyes and quickly retrieved the phone. "Gibbs." His bark into the phone was as short and to the point as Abby's answer had been long. As soon as he realized it was McGee on the phone, he put it on speaker so all could hear.

McGee's voice was tight with tension. "We're here at Tony's apartment and something's definitely wrong. His car is here, and his wallet, cell phone and keys are here. But there's no sign of Tony. Nothing looks out of place, except for a pizza box on the table with a whole pizza still in it; in fact the only thing missing is his gun. His bed hasn't been slept in, but it looks like he took a shower. Boss, tell me you've heard from him." Nothing could disguise the worry coming through loud and clear in his voice.

Gibbs ran a hand through his short hair and couldn't quite restrain the heartfelt sigh that escaped. "We've heard from him, Tim. Treat his apartment as a crime scene. Process everything and I mean everything. I'll send Ziva out to help."

But before McGee could answer, Director Vance, who had been on his way back up to his office and had returned when he'd heard McGee's voice on the phone, took the receiver from Gibb's hand. "Belay that, McGee. I'm sending another team out to process the scene. I want your asses back as soon as they arrive. You've got more important things to do here." And with that, Vance hung the phone up and turned to face an incredibly irate Gibbs.

"Ordering my agents around, now Leon? Afraid maybe I can't run this case? Don't even think about taking us off it; Tony's out there, he's hurt and you're not going to stand in my way!" Gibb's voice had risen on each word until the last one was shouted loudly enough for everyone on two floors to hear him.

"Relax, Gibbs. No one is taking you or your team off anything. But anyone can process DiNozzo's apartment. I want McGee here to help Miss Scuito analyze the tape of your conversation with whoever has Tony." Vance nodded at Abby who was standing open mouthed, listening to the exchange.

"Miss Scuito. Please start to work on that tape. Isolate anything that will help us identify where they might be holding him. I want it cleaned up sooner rather than later. Tony was trying to tell us something just before the line went dead. I want to know what it was. McGee will help you as soon as he returns." If Vance was disturbed by the look of fury on Gibbs' face, a look that was just now starting to diminish, he didn't show it.

Gibbs held the Director's eyes a moment longer; then nodded. "You're right, Leon. McGee can help more here. Send Balboa's team; next to us they're the best." Gibbs allowed the tiniest smile to cross his face, acknowledging the Director's interest and subtle approval of Gibbs' intentions, before turning back to Ziva. "Ziva, start at the top. Let's run everything we've got. And when Tim gets here; you go talk to Sarah McGee again. See if there is anything, and I mean **anything**, she might have left out."

At Tony's apartment, McGee stood still, holding the phone for a moment before responding to Bryce's questions. He shook his head, while murmuring, 'It's never a good thing when he calls me 'Tim.' Never."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

The object of all the worry and discussion, one very sick Agent Tony DiNozzo, realized he had slipped into a light unconsciousness yet again. He had tried hard to stay awake, knowing he needed to keep pressure on his leg to try and make the wound clot. But between his exhaustion, the blood loss and the stress, he had been slipping in and out of awareness for some time. Wondering what woke him this time, he wished he knew what time it was. Not being able to see his watch was making him crazy. The light bulb in the ceiling continued to shine weakly, and since there were no windows in the room, he had no idea of how much time had passed. As much as anything, the waiting was unbearable. He wished something, anything would happen. He hated the inactivity.

In the next moment however, he began to regret wishing that. Hearing footsteps, and then a key being inserted into the lock, he realized what had brought him around. "_Well, DiNozzo_," he thought to himself. "_You'd better be careful what you wish for_." He knew that whatever Mehi and Adam had in store for him, it probably wouldn't be exactly pleasant.

The door opened and Blake Mehi entered the room, followed by his ever present shadow. He stopped and took in Tony's appearance. The agent's face was flushed with fever, there was an obvious blood pool on the bed and fatigue lined his features.

"DiNozzo." His voice was grating and harsh. "Looks like you're not doing so well. Any complaints about your treatment you'd like to bring up?" Tony stared up at the other man, weighing his options. Deciding he just didn't really care what Blake thought or did, he sneered right back at him. "Oh, it's just peachy Blakey-boy. Although the room service leaves a bit to be desired. But then if you're in charge, I can understand that. You're not only ugly; I guess you're stupid too."

Blake's laugh lacked any warmth at all. Pulling Tony forward, he produced a key and unlocked the handcuffs. Tony's arms fell forward and immediately pain shot through his hands and wrists, as the blood rushed through his veins. He gritted his teeth, not wanting to give his tormentors the satisfaction of wincing. Mehi stood back up, and motioning Adam forward, produced a gun, pointed it at Tony and instructed, "On your feet. You're needed upstairs." Adam took Tony's arm around his shoulders and pulled him upward. This time, the agent couldn't bite back a small yelp of pain as his leg throbbed in time with the blood rushing through his arms. He fought not to give into the curtain of gray that rushed in front of his eyes, instinctively knowing that passing out right now wouldn't earn him any points.

"Seems to me," he managed to gasp out, as Adam started dragging him up the stairs, "You'd make it a lot easier on yourselves if you'd just leave me in one place. Better yet, just turn me loose and you won't have to keep hauling me all over the place."

Neither Blake nor Adam replied, although Blake shoved the gun into the small of Tony's back. Tony ignored it, by this time it was taking all his energy not to fade completely out.

Taking him into the kitchen again, Adam lowered him into a chair. Then he took the gun from Blake, and pointed it directly at Tony's chest. Blake stared at him for a moment, shaking his head. "You're a mess. But you're no good to me dead, not yet anyway." He turned and rummaged in a cupboard behind him, then pulled a pan out, filled it with water and placed it on the stove to boil.

He came over and using a pair of scissors he'd retrieved from the counter, he cut the blood soaked bandage off. Pulling it away with a yank when it stuck to the wound, he grinned when Tony sucked in his breath and hissed in pain. Wiping at the blood that was still oozing up from the wound, he peered at Tony's leg. Angry red streaks were leading away from the injury, and the wound itself was swollen and inflamed. "Looks to me like infection has set in. Looks pretty bad."

Tony glanced at his leg, but wished he hadn't. He wasn't squeamish around blood; obviously in his line of work that wouldn't be feasible. But he didn't exactly like seeing his own blood, and the sight of the open wound with the yellowish discharge didn't do anything for his already queasy stomach.

Blake grinned and stood up, going over to the stove. He took a small knife from a drawer and dropped it into the pot of now boiling water. "Looks to me like I need to get the bullet out. Like I said, it's not time for you to die yet." Blake nodded in Adam's direction. Adam carefully placed the gun on the table, well out of Tony's reach, and together they grabbed him by his arms and yanked him to his feet.

Tony's heart sped up. He most certainly did not like the direction this conversation was going. As they drug him through the living room, he considered trying to fight them off, but something in his body language must have telegraphed itself to them, because Blake gripped him tighter and in a menacing tone, said, "Don't even think about it DiNozzo. I said I didn't want you dead yet, not that I wouldn't kill you if necessary. After all, there are other ways to get to McGee besides through you."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs and Ziva had run through the crime scene photos twice by the time McGee and Mallory returned. Mallory excused himself and went to check on Sarah, his other responsibility. While he was gone, Gibbs asked McGee if anything about the other agent seemed off. McGee considered, but slowly shook his head. "Not really, boss. He's pretty friendly, really knows his stuff and is thorough. Why?" Gibbs just shook his head. Something was nagging at him, but he couldn't quite get it to crystallize for him.

After that, the long afternoon wore on, which each member of the team going about their assignments with even more diligence than usual. Sarah had come out and asked permission to stay with her brother after Ziva had re-interviewed her. Try as she might, she couldn't recall seeing anything unusual, and though she'd described the sensation of being watched, she'd not seen anyone who didn't belong around campus or at her apartment. Sarah watched Abby and Tim work together with amazement. Though she'd seen it to some degree when she'd been the one under suspicion, on an earlier case, she'd really had no idea of the way this team worked.

Finally, after hours of work and after Balboa's team had returned with the evidence, scarce though it was, from Tony's apartment, Tim had been able to isolate Tony's whispered voice, just before it had been cut off. He listened to it several times as Abby started processing the items laid out before her.

Sarah watched in surprise 30 minutes later as they turned toward each other at the exact same moment and exclaimed, "Stop what you're doing. This is important!" Tim and Abby just glared at each other before Abby's eyes welled up with tears. At that Tim, stopped what he was doing and asked her, "What is it, Abs?"

"It's blood, Tim. Blood. And it's Tony's blood type. I'm so scared."

Gibbs, being Gibbs, had chosen that exact moment to enter the lab. He hugged Abby briefly, planting a kiss on the top of her head, before placing a fresh Caf Pow in front of her. "It's okay, Abs. You've seen Tony's blood before. And we already knew he was hurt. Now, get back to work, and find me something I don't already know." Turning toward McGee, he raised his eyebrows, and said "What?" Tim immediately held out the headphones he'd been listening to. "Check this out boss. Tony says something about it being 'him'. Says it's … and I can't quite make this out, but it sounds like he says it's a 'man' or its 'Nam'? I just can't quite hear it."

Gibbs listened, playing it back several times. Suddenly he threw the headphones off and headed for the door. "Come on McGee. I think I might know what he's saying."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

DiNozzo was dragged into a bedroom and placed on the bed on his back. While Adam stayed with him, Blake returned to the kitchen and came back with the handcuffs. Securing Tony's wrists to the bedposts, he seemed to take particular glee in restraining him. Then, he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and forcing Tony's mouth open, gagged him with it. "Don't want you yelling and scaring the neighbors while I operate." Tony did his best to keep the fear from showing in his eyes, though he was beginning to feel a sick dread at what he figured was coming next.

He was left alone for a few more minutes before both men came back into the small room. Adam sat down across the bed, and leaning over, grabbed his left leg in a tight grip. Blake, grinning again, wasted no time in starting to dig for the bullet in Tony's thigh. He kept up a running commentary as he fished around in the open wound.

"Well, I haven't done surgery before, so maybe this is something I can add to my resume." He seemed to find this amusing, as did Adam. Tony's vision kept dimming and he began to pray desperately for the unconsciousness he'd been trying to avoid earlier. After one particularly deep jab, Tony's whole body bucked and he would have come up off the bed if Adam hadn't leaned harder across his legs. "Keep him still, damn it. This is hard enough without him flailing around." Blake's voice took on an angry tone, and he momentarily withdrew the knife. "DiNozzo, I don't particularly care how bad this hurts you, but it's gonna' be in your best interest to hold still. I could knock you out, but that would make it too easy on you."

Tony closed his eyes, willing the sudden overpowering nausea down. Maybe if he concentrated on that, he wouldn't feel the pain so sharply. At least that's what he tried to tell himself. But that idea was quickly dismissed as the knife returned to its probing. Mercifully, he felt himself begin to fade and welcomed the darkness that loomed in front of him. But before he could give into it, Blake suddenly gave one more thrust and the bullet came free. The sharp and agonizing pain that resulted brought Tony back to full wakefulness.

"Hold this over it; press hard. Try to stop the bleeding," Blake handed Adam a wet compress. "If that doesn't work, we'll have to cauterize it." Tony gulped back his panic at that statement. All was suddenly surreal and quiet as they watched to see if the blood flow would be staunched. Just as the agony started to fade the slightest big, Adam pulled the compress off at a nod from Blake. The blood immediately began to well up, flowing freely.

Blake stared down at the wound for a moment more, then nodding for Adam to apply pressure again, gave Tony a wicked grin and left the room. He came back with some alcohol and bandages, and the left again. Ten minutes later was back, this time with a stick of wood, the end of it still glowing from where he'd obviously taken it out of the fireplace. With a glance at the agent's very white face, he considered for a moment, then said, "Brace yourself," as he applied the flat end of the glowing ember.

Tony remembered several things happening at once. He heard the scream build up from somewhere deep inside himself and didn't even try to restrain it. An astounding amount of sound escaped around the gag. He smelled the horrible stench of his own flesh burning and felt his stomach heave, but fortunately, he had eaten so little in the past several hours, and was so dehydrated from the fever that very little actually made its way into his throat. He managed to swallow the bile back down, hoping he didn't aspirate any of it. Pneumonia was the last thing he needed. And finally, the dark tunnel that had been hovering just beyond his senses moved rapidly toward him. He willingly gave himself up to the blackness that promised blessed relief.

As soon as DiNozzo's body went lax, Blake withdrew the ember, examining the burned flesh. "At least the bleeding slowed. Not sure if this will knock the infection down or not." He watched Tony's chest move rhythmically up and down for a few moments, then started out of the room. As Adam started to clean up, Blake stopped him with a shake of his head.

"Wait just a moment. I want to send a picture to my friend at NCIS." With that he took a disposable cell phone from his pocket, shot several photos from different angles, being sure to include the blood, the scorched flesh and DiNozzo's very white face. Then, nodding for Adam to go ahead, and instructing him to disinfect the still oozing wound with alcohol and bandage it, he went into the living room.

Choosing several pictures, he didn't try to contain the grim smile and sense of righteous revenge he felt as he sent the pictures to Agent Timothy McGee's email address. The insanity that was becoming more and more pronounced revealed itself as he talked to quietly himself. Adam, coming out of the bedroom, shuddered slightly as he heard the murmured words.

"Take that, McGee. How does it feel, knowing your 'brother' is dying, and you can't do anything about it?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs had just come back from meeting with the director about his suspicions. The two of them had come up with a plan of action, and Gibbs had instructed his team to go home for the night. After his third such order, they were finally shutting things down and getting ready to leave. He knew they would all be back in before 0500 in the morning, but he figured they needed at least a little sleep to be at their best. But before McGee turned his computer off, he checked his email one more time, as he always every evening just before leaving.

His face went white and his voice sounded hollow as the rest of the team waited for him near the elevator doors. "No. Oh God, no. Tony. What have they done to you?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

_**A/N: Thanks for reading. Please read and review. **_


	7. Clues

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS.**

_**A/N: This is a repost of Chapter Seven – "Clues." There were a few typos in it (thanks DarkRose2006 for your editing skills), and also I made some storyline errors. I forgot to deal with Sarah McGee in this chapter, and I needed to do that.**_

_**Chapter Eight is finished and I'll post it in just a few minutes. Thanks for reading.**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Seven**

"**Clues" **

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

The next awareness Tony had was incongruous to say the least. He felt his hot forehead being sponged with something cold and soft and then felt a cool liquid at his lips, being trickled down his throat. Though his eyelids felt as heavy as lead weights, he forced them open slightly. For one moment he allowed himself to hope that he'd been rescued and was home, or even in the hospital. Anything would be better than where he'd last been.

But as his eyes fluttered, and his senses returned, he noted several things as once. First, his left was on fire. He was pretty sure it was literally burning up. Second, what little he could see of the room looked just like the one he'd been in when he'd passed out. And third, the person holding the cup to his lips was the ubiquitous Adam. With a sigh, he accepted the cold water and did his best to swallow it without choking. After a few sips, he shook his head. His stomach was rebelling at even that little bit.

"Wha's goin' on?" he meant his voice to be strong and forceful, but to his disgust it came out raspy and hoarse. Adam stood up and gazed at him for almost a full minute before shaking his head. "You'll have to wait for the boss to get back. I don't know nothin'; jus' do what 'm told." Tony wondered if he was imagining it, or if Adam's voice sounded a little slurred.

DiNozzo watched as Adam left the room, then he stayed still for a moment more, taking stock of his surroundings and his condition. To his amazement, he found his arms were free; the handcuffs nowhere in sight. He listened intently, growing more alert as the moments went by. Hearing nothing except Adam moving around in the other room, then the soft sound of a TV coming on, he figured maybe Blake was gone. Now might be his best chance at escape, if he just had the strength.

Waiting a few more minutes and hearing nothing else, he carefully eased his way to a sitting position, thankful that though it appeared to be getting darker outside, there was still enough light coming through the small window to let him see without turning a light on. He pulled the blanket back that had been covering his lower body and looked for the first time since wakening, at his leg. It was tightly bandaged again, and no blood was seeping through. Taking a deep breath, he gently tried moving his leg and almost screamed out loud at the resulting pain. The darkness came roaring back and for a few minutes, he knew nothing.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

With Timothy McGee's outburst and the way all the blood drained from his face, the rest of team quickly returned to the bullpen. Gibbs, though he had been the first one into the elevator, nevertheless managed to be the first one to McGee's desk. Ziva was fast on his heels, and she made sure Sarah McGee was with her. For reasons yet unknown to Ziva, she and Balboa had been assigned protection duty. Mallory had disappeared earlier in the day; right after Gibbs had come up from Abby's lab and had closeted himself with Director Vance for almost an hour.

"What is it, Tim?" Gibbs asked, in an unaccountably gentle voice. Tim could say nothing for a moment. His shock at the pictures that had greeted him when he'd opened an innocuous appearing message was too great. He just gestured at the horrible images on his screen. "Put it up," Gibbs commanded. Getting control of himself, McGee quickly moved back into agent mode. With a few clicks, the big screen lit up.

NCIS Team Gibbs was used to seeing horrific pictures and crime scenes. None of them were particularly squeamish, though each member had their own particular quirks–things that bothered them more than others. But as jaded as they all thought themselves to be, none of them were prepared for the pictures that appeared before them.

The first one showed Tony lying on a bed, a full body shot. There was blood—a lot of blood, pooled around his left leg from a wound on his thigh, about 8 inches above the knee. It seemed obvious he'd been shot, and because of the bloody knife lying in close proximity to the wound, it seemed equally obvious someone had done some kind of crude surgery. Gibb's pursed his lips in absolute cold anger when he saw that his Senior Field Agent was handcuffed to the bed. There was a large bruise on his forehead, and his head lolled to one side. At first glance it was very difficult to tell if he was unconscious or dead.

The next photo showed a close-up of the wound itself. While it was obvious it had bled a lot, and red streaks were still visible leading away from the bullet hole, this picture showed flesh that appeared blackened and burned. Gibbs leaned closer, trying to get a better look. However, the next shot showed all too well what must have happened. A piece of burned wood lay on some bloody cloths, next to the knife. Gibbs swore, realizing they had cauterized the wound. He hoped his agent had been unconscious, but the sickness in his gut told him otherwise.

The last picture showed a close up of Tony's face. Here, the bruise was dark purple and prominent and it was obvious he was flushed with fever; though that in itself must have meant he was still alive. Just as Gibbs was about to order Tim to scroll through the pictures again, he heard a sound that made him close his eyes.

From a few feet behind him, where she had quietly come on the group standing in horrified silence, Abby's small voice could be heard. "Gibbs, what have they done to him?"

Gibbs looked up, wishing Abby could have been spared the sight of Tony's injuries. But since she was there, he decided she would just have to deal with it, the same as the rest of them. "Abs," his voice was deceptively mild. "Would you go get Ducky and Palmer please? If they have already left, call them back. We're all going to be needed tonight."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Adam knew he was supposed to leave the pills and alcohol alone. He knew he was in charge of the sick agent, but when he'd last checked on the man, he'd seemed in no condition to try anything. He was still burning up with fever and though he'd taken a few sips of water and had asked a question, he'd appeared weak as a kitten. And the pull of the Vodka was just so strong. He was sure he'd only drunk a little of it, and he'd taken only a couple of pills. He'd replaced the lost fluid in the Vodka bottle with water, and since Blake didn't know about his hidden stash of pills, he figured his secret was safe. He'd used greater quantities before and still functioned just fine. After all, he'd been drunk when he'd helped kill the Lieutenant, the one Blake had said looked like McGee's sister. And both he and Blake had taken a turn on her before killing her. Since he'd had less this time, he was sure he wasn't that impaired now. He listened for any sounds from the bedroom and even checked one more time. But though DiNozzo had apparently thrashed around some, he was definitely unconscious again. So Adam felt perfectly safe leaving him un-cuffed, as he went back to his TV show. Blake was due back within the hour, and he'd find everything under control when he returned.

Tony's return to wakefulness was slow and once again he had a hard time remembering exactly where he was at first. But it all came rushing back as soon as he shifted even a little, after trying to determine how much time had passed. He lay quietly for a moment, listening and hearing nothing but the soft drone of the TV. This time he knew he had to brace himself for the pain. He managed to stay conscious as he once again tested his ability to move. Bolstering himself with thoughts of how Gibbs would handle the situation, he eased his leg onto the floor, then paused a moment to get a grip on the pain that ensued with the movement. As soon as he felt it was manageable he gritted his teeth, told himself not to pass out and stood up.

The resulting throbbing in his leg made his head swim and nearly swamped him, but by sheer force of will, he hung on. He kept himself from reaching for the bed posts, knowing that if he was going to do this, he had to be able to walk unassisted. Finally gaining control, he took first one tentative step, then another and another. He found himself at the door, and couldn't stop himself from grasping the knob tightly in the continuing effort to keep to his feet. But once again the worst of it passed and he listened at the door for any sign that he'd been heard. When all remained quiet, he turned the door knob as quietly as he could, and inched the door open slightly, praying it wouldn't creak. For once, luck was on his side and it made no sound. Waiting a moment more, he pushed it open and stepped gingerly into the hall, trying to remember the layout of the house.

Again, his luck held. He was in a hallway and had a clear view into the living room. He couldn't believe it when he saw Adam slumped back on the sofa, TV remote hanging from lax fingers, mouth open as he softly snored. DiNozzo paused a moment more, both to thank whatever God was listening to him and to gather his strength. He knew he'd have to make his way silently into the kitchen and out the back door without waking his captor. He uttered one more heartfelt prayer, both that Adam would remain asleep and that Blake wouldn't suddenly appear to stop him.

Ten agonizing minutes later, he was at the kitchen door, easing it open and hoping for freedom. But that is where his luck ran out. Just as he stepped down off the porch and squinted around in the waning light, looking for the quickest way to get to help, he heard the garage door open and knew his time was up. Deciding he had nothing to lose now, he shut the door and took off at a lumbering half run, hoping Blake would not check the bedroom too soon.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

As everyone was returning to the bullpen, Gibbs peered over McGee's shoulder. "Is there any message with the pictures, Tim?" McGee clicked through, first quickly, then more slowly. Finally, at the end of the last picture, he saw a tag. Clicking on it, he sighed as he saw the words appear. "Guess we know what we'll be working on the rest of the night, don't we?"

Bending in and looking closer, Gibbs saw the words scroll across the bottom of the screen. "Damn it, McGee. Can't you make them any bigger?" He squinted at them, desperate to make them out. "Sorry, boss," Tim didn't even realizing he was breaking rule number six as he increased the font size.

Gibbs ignored him as he read the words now visible to him. They did not make much sense, but at least now he had something to work on. Ziva leaned in and read along with him.

**Clues:**

heather jp lying writing brothers choate

"When u figure it out, call me. Maybee i'll x change ur agent 4 McGee – if DiNozzo's still alive. Better hurry – because he only has until tomorrow at sunset."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

DiNozzo felt the wound on his leg break open and the warm blood begin to drip down. But he ignored it, hoping to get to some kind of cover before he was discovered. He was almost to the edge of the yard when he heard the sound of the "pop" of a gun with a silencer. Throwing himself to the ground, hoping to avoid more injury, he saw the bullet gouge a hole in the tree in front of him. Light suddenly burst into the yard and the voice he'd hoped never to hear again broke over him.

"DiNozzo – you're going to regret this. Almost as much as Mr. Choate already does. Now get up and put your hands where I can see them." Tony let his head hit the ground for a moment, and considered just ignoring the command. But when another bullet hit the ground, only an inch or two from his right ear, he changed his mind. Pushing himself up on his elbows, he called back over his shoulder, "I'm getting up. Give me a second." Using the tree for leverage, he pushed himself to his feet, trying not to topple to the ground again as his leg wanted to give way beneath him. Leaning back slightly until he was in contact with the tree for support, he raised his arms and gave a slight parody of his normal grin. "Well, Blakey-boy, come on now. You can't blame a man for trying, can you?"

Blake did not find his answer amusing. "Keep your hands where I can see them." He advanced, the gun trained squarely on DiNozzo's chest. "Again, I'd just as soon not kill you yet, but I will if necessary." Getting to within 3 feet of the wounded man, he reached around and pulled the handcuffs from behind his back. Tossing them at Tony who reflectively caught them, he demanded. "Cuff yourself. Behind your back. And I want to hear both clicks."

Sighing, Tony did as ordered. He could see a look on Blake's face he didn't like, and decided that pushing the man further into insanity might not be such a good idea. As soon as he was cuffed, Blake stuffed the gun into his belt behind his own back and grabbed DiNozzo none too gently. Jerking hard, he pushed him ahead of him and Tony just managed not to stumble and fall. As it was, he felt more blood dripping down his leg. All in all, the escape attempt hadn't turned out quite like he had in mind.

But thoughts of his own wounds receded from his mind as he was shoved up the two stairs to the kitchen, and on into the living room. Blake kept a death grip on his left arm, but using his free hand, he grabbed DiNozzo by his hair and made him look at the man he'd only known as Adam. Adam was sprawled on the couch, and there were two bullet holes in his forehead. His eyes were wide and staring and he had a look of permanent surprise on his face.

Mehi's body radiated with his fury. "That's what happens when someone really, really pisses me off, DiNozzo. And just so you know, right now you have really pissed me off." With that he yanked him again and pushed him down the stairs to the original room he'd been imprisoned in. "Hope you like it here. It isn't likely you'll ever see the light of day again."

Blake shoved him onto the bed, unlocked the cuffs, only to refasten Tony's left arm to the bedpost again. He left his right arm free, for reasons Tony couldn't at that moment fathom. But before he had much time to contemplate it, Blake began to systematically beat him. He hit him in the face, the stomach, chest and arms. As the blows rained down on the injured man he punctuated each one with a remark.

"That's for my brother. That's for making me kill Comstock – I didn't want her to have to die. That's for everything McGee and his sister did to me. That's for Adam's death. And this—this is a present from John Patters. He'll be happy to know I delivered it for him."

With that remark, Blake removed the gun and pointed it at Tony's face. Tony looked up at him, dazed and bleeding, but unflinching. If this was the way he was going to die, he would face it like Gibbs would. Waiting for the sound that would end his life seemed to take forever. "Just get it over with, Blakey. I'm tired of looking at your ugly mug. And tell Patters that Gibbs will kill him for this."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

"Boss, what the hell does it mean?" Tim was so tired that the words seemed to swim in front of him.

"It means we are dragging an all nighter, that is what it means, McGee." Ziva was already jotting down the words on the message. "I will compare these words, Gibbs and see what they have in common."

Gibbs and McGee didn't bother to correct her grammar, but Ducky, coming into the room with Jimmy Palmer did. "I believe you mean we are pulling an all nighter, Ms. David. So what is so urgent that we are all required to give up our night's sleep this time?" Ducky had been out in the parking lot, getting ready to turn left and head for home and a hot bath when his phone had begun ringing. He had thought about ignoring it, but not wanting to break Gibbs' rule number three – "never be unreachable," he had answered. Abby's excited voice had him turning around and meeting up with her and Jimmy at the elevator, and they had ridden up together.

But then he caught sight of the pictures of Tony, still displayed on the big screen and reaching a hand out to take hold of Abby's arm, he could feel the blood leaving his face." Oh dear. The poor boy. Jethro, tell me we know where he is."

"Not yet, Ducky. But we're going to find him. And soon." With that Gibbs began handing out assignments. Leon Vance came down the stairs in time to hear the end of the list of duties. Glancing up at the screen, he did a double take. "Gibbs, I need to see you. Now. It's pertinent to this case. Alone."

Gibbs paused one moment, watching his team in action. Ziva and Tim were furiously typing into their computers, running down every possible lead the puzzling words in the clue produced, with Sarah looking over McGee's shoulder and offering her own take on things. Ducky was examining the pictures of Tony closely, trying to determine how bad his condition was. And Jimmy and Abby were pulling up computer models of the next day's weather, trying to settle on exactly when sunset would occur. Leon had already disappeared, heading back upstairs. Gibbs followed, expecting that Vance would have some information on Agent Mallory.

When Gibbs had finished listening to the tape of Tony's whispered words, he had finally figured out what was bothering him. He was sure Tony had been about to say, "It's him. It's Mallory." The only thing that bothered him about that theory was that Gibbs' gut kept telling him Bryce was one of the good guys. So he and Vance had decided to do some deep digging of their own, using resources that were only available to someone like the Director of NCIS. Gibbs figured Leon had uncovered something and was about to reveal it. They had sent Mallory on an errand earlier, under the discreet surveillance of Balboa and Gibbs didn't expect him back until the morning. Mallory had been told Balboa and Agent David would take over the protective detail for the night.

So he was very surprised to open the door to Vance's office and see Agent Mallory sitting in a chair, looking miserable and exhausted. He stood up as soon as Gibbs entered the room.

"Agent Gibbs, I have something I need to tell you."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

The shot Tony expected did not come. Instead, Blake's handsome face was contorted by an evil smile. He reversed his hold on the gun, and brought the handle down across the wound in his thigh with a vengeance. Tony did not even try to restrain the cry of agony that burst from him. He tried to stop Blake from raising the gun again by using his unrestrained right arm to hold it back. But Blake was a man crazed with rage.

He took a step back and pistol whipped Tony across the face, dazing him. Then, using the gun as a club, he again hit him in the thigh, twice and a third time. The wound burst open, bleeding freely. The pain brought DiNozzo around one more time. This time he calculated his strength, and waited for just the right second. As Blake raised his arm to strike the seemingly helpless man again, using force he didn't know he had, but spurred on by pain and adrenalin, Tony grabbed his tormenter's wrist, held on and began to twist, frantically trying to either get hold of the gun or at least make Mehi drop it.

The struggle continued for what seemed an eternity to Agent DiNozzo, but finally, in a last burst of energy, he felt the gun slide around. Twisting Mehi's wrist a little farther, he felt the shock as the gun suddenly discharged. A moment later, the light faded from Tony's eyes and his world became quiet and dark.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N:**_** Okay, sorry. That was one evil cliffy, I know. But I haven't really done that yet with this story, and couldn't resist. Chapter 8 is being written now and I'll post as quickly as I get it finished. I'll try for later this weekend, but no guarantees. Thanks for reading.**_


	8. Is This How It Ends?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS.**

_**A/N: Thanks to all who have been reading and especially to those who took the time to review. I love to write, an hearing that folks are enjoying the story is extremely gratifying.**_

_**Thanks also to all who have alerted to the story and have marked it as a favorite. I've loved seeing that it is getting traffic from literally all over the world. I hope you enjoy Chapter Eight.**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Eight**

"**Is This How It Ends?"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Leroy Jethro Gibbs took in the sight of Agent Mallory's pale face and his very nervous demeanor. "Oh?" was all he said. He wasn't inclined to make it easy on the man if he had anything at all to do with Tony's disappearance and subsequent injuries.

Mallory cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair, looking around as if he could find a way to escape what was coming. Vance stayed seated at his desk and just waited. Finally, Mallory exhaled noisily and sat back down. Gibbs leaned against the wall, arms crossed; his expression unreadable.

Hunching over and looking down at his hands which hung loosely between his knees, Bryce's voice was full of emotion as he began to speak. "Agent Gibbs, please believe me. I had no idea what was going on until late yesterday." He paused, as if to gather himself for what he had to say next. Looking up, his eyes were filled with emotional pain when he spoke.

"I think my brother has Tony. And he'll kill him to get to Agent McGee and Sarah."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

About that time, in the bullpen, Sarah McGee was thinking hard. She knew she wasn't trained like the agents, but she also wasn't as exhausted as they were and had the advantage of not being quite so close to the investigation. Like all of them, Sarah had already figured out that somehow she and Tim were involved; she just couldn't understand what the connection to Tony was. But suddenly, as she puzzled over the words in the "clue" sent in the email, it hit her.

"Heather," she blurted out of nowhere. "It's all about Heather. She's the key." Tim and Ziva looked at her in confusion. "Heather was involved in Seaman Petty's murder, remember? Back when I was accused of killing him? She was his girlfriend. And the word 'brothers' – Tim's my brother and he's a writer. Don't you see it? The clues: _heather jp lying writing brothers choate_? If whoever did this sees Tim as a liar, it all has to be connected."

Agent Ziva David cocked her pretty head to one side considering. "I can see Heather's involvement, but how do '_j__p_' and '_choate_' figure in? What is a '_choate_' anyway?"

Tim had been scanning through various websites as Sarah was talking. "It's not a what, Ziva; Choate is a 'who'. _JP_ must be John Patters. And…." His voice trailed off momentarily as his fingers literally flew so fast no one could follow them. "Aha!" McGee didn't stop to think how melodramatic the 'Aha!' sounded, and how Tony would razz him if he were there. "There was an Adam Choate who was released from prison several months ago, before Patters got transferred to Petersburg, Virginia! So maybe Choate met Patters and is doing his dirty work." His voice sounded triumphant.

"Except, Timothy," Ducky interjected. "How is Patters connected with Heather? Patters wanted Tony dead, not you. You weren't even working here when Tony and Gibbs arrested him. And he certainly doesn't have any connection to your sister." Tim's shoulders slumped in momentary defeat. "I don't know, Ducky. I never even met Patters, and never heard of Adam Choate before today." He voice went from jubilant to discouraged, and he tiredly rolled his neck, closing his eyes in frustration, jumping slightly as Abby slammed her fist down on a desk.

"We must think people! We must ponder and consider and contemplate and imagine and reflect and envision and study and think and consider; wait, I think I'm repeating myself." Abby's voice was confident, in spite of the rambling nature of her words.

"We must be vigilant and above all, we must be like James Bond in _Gone With the Wind_. Or like Indiana Jones in _Casablanca_! We must persevere, just as Tony would for do for us. We must leave no stone unturned, no movie reference unuttered. Tony would never give up, never retreat, never say die – oh! Oh! No, no, did I just say 'die' and 'Tony' in the same sentence? That's bad Karma. Forget I said that. Forget I was even here." And Abby looked down, seemingly not seeing the astonishment on the faces of everyone in the room. All had been subject to "Abby-rants" before, but none of them could recall ever hearing quite the mixing of references as she had done this time.

Gibbs, along with Director Vance and a subdued looking Agent Mallory chose that moment to come down the stairs. "She's right about one thing," Gibbs' voice sounded almost as tired as the rest of them felt. "We won't give up. And Agent Mallory here is going to lead us to our missing man."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

The object of Abby's soliloquy, one Very Sick Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was at that moment wondering just how and why these things always seemed to happen to him. He had awakened a few minutes after the gunshot had sounded, wondering for about the 100th time in the last few days what the hell was going on.

His leg was throbbing and he felt like he was suffocating. But even though the room was nearly dark since Blake Mehi had not turned the light on before he'd started beating him, Tony soon figured out the problem. Blake's body was sprawled across him. Tony had just barely managed to get control of the gun before it went off, and since the barrel had been pointed directly at Blake's heart, he was definitely very, very dead. And almost crushing Tony beneath his weight.

Before he completely grasped the situation and in a slight panic at the pressure on his chest, DiNozzo heaved the dead man off of him. It only took him a few seconds to realize that may have been a mistake.

Blake's body rolled and landed about two feet away from the foot of the bed, face down on the floor. DiNozzo took a moment to pray that first, the key to the handcuffs was in Blake's pocket, and second—he hadn't rolled out of his reach. Though he knew he was finally free of both of his captors, he also realized it was likely no one knew where he was and he could easily die before anyone found him.

Taking a moment to gather his strength, he began working his sore and abused body around, trying to get close enough to Blake to search him for the key.

An hour later, Tony was exhausted and knew he had to rest and try to stop the bleeding, or reaching the key would no longer matter. His wound had already been infected, and after it had been so badly mistreated, it was sluggishly oozing blood. At first the blood loss hadn't seemed too bad, but now it was slowly soaking the bed beneath him, and he recognized the signs proving he was getting dangerously weak.

He was cold, even though he knew his fever was still high. And he was too light headed. Logically, since he hadn't eaten much lately, he knew he was weakened by lack of food, but he also knew this feeling went beyond any malnourishment. With a huge sigh, he stopped his struggling to reach his dead tormentor and turned his attention to his leg.

It was another 30 minutes or so before he had any kind of a dressing in place. He'd been able to loosen the remnants of the ace bandage that had been placed there hours before, and using his teeth and left hand to rip the threadbare blanket into strips, he'd managed to wad up enough of it to make a pad of sorts. Securing it with what was left of the ace wrap; he waited a few more minutes to see if the bleeding slowed. To his dismay, the blood was soon seeping through both the pad and the makeshift binding.

With another heartfelt sigh, he managed to get his belt off and fashion a tourniquet. He disliked that option, knowing the inherent risks of losing circulation for too long, but didn't see he had much choice at this point. Finally, fresh blood stopped staining the bandage and he laid his head back, utterly spent. Wanting nothing more than to close his eyes and give in to the alluring darkness that seemed to hover somewhere just beyond his vision, he resisted the urge, knowing that giving in would be a very bad decision on several counts.

"DiNozzo," he muttered to himself, "Suck it up. Gibbs won't be happy if you just give up. This is nothing. DiNozzos don't pass out, and they sure as hell don't quit." Allowing himself only a few moments of rest, he resumed his attempts to reach Blake's body. But soon realizing it just wasn't going to happen like this, he understood that somehow, he'd have to figure out a way to expend a little more energy; energy he wasn't at all sure he still had.

Tony DiNozzo was in pain. He was weakened from days of abuse and lack of food. He knew he was dehydrated and that the fever and blood loss were taking their toll on his body. But he knew he couldn't stop trying, and not just because he didn't particularly want to die today. He knew if he didn't make it; if the team didn't find him in time, then Sarah and Tim were in danger. And that he could not tolerate. So, determination showing itself in every line of his worn out body, he dug deep inside himself for the strength to make one more Herculean effort. Not sure how he was going to be able to accomplish it, he knew he had to move the bed so he could get close enough to search for the key. He just hoped his body would cooperate.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Gibbs reviewed what Mallory had shared with him and Vance with the rest of the team. "Mallory's got a brother; name is Mehi. We believe he's responsible for DiNozzo's abduction."

"Blake Mehi," Mallory supplied. "And he's my half brother; we had the same mother. I haven't seen him since I was about 14." A glare from Gibbs, who hadn't decided if he was going to kill Bryce or promote him for his part in the mess, stopped Mallory from saying anything else.

"Right." Gibbs continued; his face a mask of fury and resolve. "Mehi has another half brother; seems their Mother was a bit on the 'active' side. That brother's name is Beau. Beau Tate. Does Tate ring a bell with anyone?"

Tim's face, which was already drawn and pale, turned a sickly green. He immediately turned to his keyboard; then clicked the remote. "Uh, yeah boss." The plasma screen came alive, this time with a picture of Security Officer Tate; who along with the cheerleader, Madison Johnson, had been convicted of killing Seaman Petty. "Beau Tate went to prison, he was convicted of 2nd degree murder; Madison was convicted of manslaughter."

Agent David had also started doing some research as soon as Mallory had identified his brother. "Gibbs, Tate died in prison 18 months ago." Her fingers continued to type, almost as fast as McGee's were. "And Madison is still in Alderson Federal Prison Camp."

Agent Mallory looked down, not wanting to face any of the team members. "Blake was always close to Beau. I went and lived with my Dad when he split up with our Mom when I was about six. Blake stayed with Mom, and Beau was born only a few months later. They're only a year apart in age; that's why Dad left her. She was pregnant with Beau by then, and he knew he wasn't the father. Blake's always been the angry kind, mad at the world. He would be livid at Beau's death. But I can't figure out how Blake ties in with John and Ian Patters or Madison Johnson."

Abby, not to be outdone, had signed onto Tony's computer and was searching for information as well. "Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" Her excited voice joined the others. "I think this is important." Her lovely face turned toward the lead agent, and she impatiently motioned for McGee to put her information on the screen. "Look!" She pointed at vital statistic records she had accessed and that were now displayed.

Gibbs squinted at the screen for a moment and then walked over to Abby, dropping a kiss on top of her head. "Good work, Agent Scuito. That's the missing piece we've been looking for."

Heading toward the elevator at a fast trot, he didn't need to issue any orders. His team and Agent Mallory, along with Ducky and Jimmy Palmer, had already grabbed their gear and were right behind him. At the last second, Sarah McGee darted into the elevator too. "Don't try and stop me!" She shook her finger in Gibbs' face. "I'm going with you. This is as much my fault as anyone's."

"It's no one's fault, Sarah," Gibbs voice was firm, but he made no effort to stop her. Tim slipped his arm around her shoulders as Ducky spoke for all of them. "Let's go get our boy, Jethro." The resolve in his voice echoed the sentiments of everyone.

"And bring him back to me, Jethro? Please?" Abby's eyes pleaded with them. Just before the elevator door closed, Gibbs nodded at her. "We will, Abs, we will."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Tony DiNozzo knew he was running out of time. He had been working for almost two hours since placing the tourniquet; stopping to loosen it periodically. So far he'd only managed to move the bed about six inches. But he was pretty sure he only needed another couple of tries and he'd be close enough. After tightening the belt around his leg for what he hoped was the last time, he gave a mighty heave and was rewarded by feeling the bed scoot at least 4 inches closer to his objective.

Pausing to rest for only a moment, he was elated when his right hand finally was able to grab Blake's arm. Using what little strength he had left, he pulled the man closer and began searching his pockets, praying he'd locate the key. Finally, luck was with him. He found it in the second place he looked. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, he lost little time in releasing his left arm from the cuffs.

Then, free for the first time in hours, he literally fell off the bed. Hoping Mehi had a cell phone on him, he methodically searched the man. But this time fortune didn't favor him. No phone. Not able to suppress a groan, he looked at the stairs just beyond the open door. They seemed as tall as Mt. Everest, and about as insurmountable. Hoping he had enough energy left to drag his weary body up them, he reminded himself one more time that he could do this.

"No point in delaying, DiNozzo. Quit stalling and get your ass up those stairs. Gibbs won't be happy if he finds your body down here. Rule number 45 – got to get out of this mess myself." If Tony's head had been a little clearer, he'd have realized he didn't have that quite right; Rule 45 was actually "always clean up your own mess". But at this point, he didn't much care. With that thought pounding in his brain, he began the laborious process of getting up the stairs.

Grabbing the rail, he tried standing, but when he regained consciousness a few minutes later, sprawled on his back at the bottom of the stairs, he realized that probably wasn't going to be an option. Which left him managing to sort of half crawl—half pull—himself along.

DiNozzo was a stubborn man. He'd been badly injured before, and had always managed to find a way out. He began calling himself every name he could think of: _stupid, lazy, obstinate, idiotic, pigheaded, reckless, irresponsible_; just to motivate himself to keep trying.

He almost made it. He didn't pass out until he reached the top of the stairs. His last conscious thought, as he caught sight of a cell phone where it had been left on the kitchen counter was, "_Is this how it ends_?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Mallory had provided information as to several possible locations that Blake might have taken Tony to. Though he hadn't seen his half brother in years, he had kept in contact off and on, and knew Blake had made a lot of money in the markets years before. He knew he had several real estate holdings, scattered all over the DC area. He had already reviewed them with Gibbs and Vance, and they were armed with a list of likely prospects.

Gibbs sent both McGees and Ziva David, along with Palmer, to those that were closest to NCIS headquarters, while he, Mallory and Ducky headed to those farther out. Hoping he'd get a call from Ziva before they reached their first destination, Gibbs drove like a mad man, screeching up to the driveway of their first address.

Even as his cell phone was ringing, with the report from Ziva that Tony hadn't been at their first objective, he could quickly tell that DiNozzo wasn't at this house either. The startled look on the faces of the twin girls, age about 7, along with the confusion of their mother convinced him of that. She confirmed that they rented the home from a management company; but she had never heard of either Blake Mehi or Agent DiNozzo. "For that matter," she called after Gibbs' quickly retreating back, "I've never heard of NCIS, either!"

The long evening got longer as the hours passed and there was no sign of their missing Agent. Finally, they had only one address left, and it was out in Laurel, still an hour away. Calling McGee and David, and instructing them to meet them there, Gibbs drove way beyond the speed limit, and they pulled up to the last possibility a mere 45 minutes later. It was a smaller home, ranch style with a full basement. No lights were on and it looked deserted. Of course, all the houses on the street appeared that way, which really wasn't too surprising considering that by this time it was 1:30 in the morning.

"Doesn't look very hopeful, does it Jethro?" Ducky tried to keep his voice upbeat, but he was growing increasingly worried about Tony. "Well, we may as well check, as long as we are here."

But Gibbs was already out of the car, gun drawn. "Duck, stay in the car until I give the order. Mallory, you go around back. This is it; he's here."

Ducky got back in the car, not even questioning how Gibbs knew it. Instead, he grasped his medical bag a little more tightly, hoping and praying he and its contents would be needed. Watching Gibbs approach the front door, he held his breath.

"NCIS. Open up!" Gibbs shout was followed a split second later by a mighty kick, which easily broke the door lock, slamming the door against the frame with a loud crash.

A few moments went by, then lights started coming on all over the house. The next thing Ducky realized, he was already out of the car and sprinting for the door. He was met by a grim faced Mallory. "Hurry up! He's here, Dr. Mallord. But I'm afraid we might be too late."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N: _Ok, that's it for chapter eight. I took a few liberties with names for Tate and Madison. I reviewed everything I could find on the episode "Twisted Sister," the one involving Sarah McGee, and couldn't find Tate's first name or Madison's last name, so I just made them up. Hope it is not too distracting._**

_**One more chapter to go and it is mostly written; I'm in the process of finishing it and doing some final edits. **_

_**I hope you are continuing to enjoy this story; it's been a lot of been fun to write. Please review. I hope to post the final chapie, called "Really, Abby?" by the end of the weekend. Thanks. **_


	9. Really, Abby?

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, or any of its characters, except those who periodically escape from my imagination long enough to make it into my stories. If I did own any of them, I'd certainly take a little better care of them than I do when they appear in Fan Fiction. Okay, not really – because I enjoy seeing them get a little bruised and battered.**

**A/N:_ Well, I thought this was the last chapter, but somehow it did not feel quite finished to me. That silly little plot bunny woke me up last night and added a whole new dimension. So now I'm not quite sure how many more chapters there will be. _**

_**Let me know if you enjoy the direction this takes at the end of this chapter. Thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing. **_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Nine**

"**Really, Abby?"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Abigail Scuito waited, and waited and waited. Vance encouraged her first to go home, promising to call when he heard any news. But the scathing look he got from her at that suggestion stopped that idea. Next, he tried getting her to at least go to her lab and rest. However, that earned him yet another contemptuous glare and he gave up. To try and make amends, he went so far as to find her a Caf-Pow, but when he presented it to her, she took one look at it and burst into tears.

Director Leon Vance awkwardly held the distraught forensic scientist lightly in his arms, patting her and feeling the urge to mutter something inane, like "There, there. Everything will be all right." He didn't realize he'd given into the desire until her tear streaked face looked up at him and she said, "You bet your sweet bippy it will, baby!"

Vance recovered nicely from the mild shock of having Abby refer to him as "baby," and managed a small grin. "So tell me, Ms. Scuito, exactly what IS a bippy, anyway?" Finally distracted, Abby launched into her version of what a bippy might be. Ten minutes later, the Director was glad to have a reason to excuse himself when a call from the Sec Nav was announced. He hugged Abby once more time before jogging up the stairs to MTAC.

"It's okay, Leon." Abby called after him, before sitting down forlornly in Tony's chair. "I'll come and get you when Gibbs calls." Vance waved a hand in her direction, finding that he not only believed she would cheerfully interrupt his time with the Secretary, but realizing he would be glad when she did.

Abby spent the next few hours reviewing everything she could on the case. She paid particular attention to the vital stats she had found and showed to Gibbs just before he and the rest had left to go find DiNozzo. From there, she pulled up records showing prison visitations and began studying them.

Printing both sets of records out so she could go over them more thoroughly, she traced the connections. Madison Johnson was first cousin to Adam Choate, which was the missing piece Gibbs had referred to earlier, just before getting on the elevator.

After checking and cross checking records, she next discovered that Choate, a low level criminal who seemed to be more interested in his next fix than anything else, had met John Patters when he was incarcerated with him for a few months, before Patters was transferred to the Petersburg facility. Records also showed that Choate had visited his cousin, Madison several times before being arrested himself.

Of particular note were accounts showing that Blake Mehi, Tate's brother, had also visited Madison Johnson several times in prison. The final piece fell into place, when Abby found evidence that Ian Patters had not only visited his brother John, but had been in to see Madison several times as well, usually within just a few days of going to see John. And Ian was recorded as having one of the same drug dealers as Choate.

Sighing, Abby closed the computer files. Somehow, understanding the connections and how everything had likely happened didn't seem to help her feel any better. Though Mehi was apparently mainly interested in getting revenge on Tim and Sarah McGee, he must have decided to use Choate and Patters to make it happen. Patters would have been easy to convince as soon as Mehi had made it clear he was more than willing to use Agent DiNozzo as part of the plan for his retribution. Mehi had mostly likely taken advantage of Madison as well, not caring what, if anything, she got out of it. He would have overlooked any hatred he held for Madison and her part in his brother's death in prison in order to use her; after all, Abby figured, she was already in prison and paying for her crime. Mehi seemed to want Sarah and Tim to suffer as he had. And he would not have cared if one Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo suffered in the bargain.

Tracing patterns on Tony's phone with her finger, Abby wished he was there with her. She was closest of all to Tony, next to Gibbs. Her own parents being dead, she often thought of Gibbs as the father she no longer had. And she knew Tony felt more or less the same. Though DiNozzo's relationship with his own father, "Senior," as he was known, was marginally better than it had been, she knew he'd never feel about him as he did about Gibbs.

Abby knew that she treated Tony like her own big brother, partly because she knew her "surrogate" Father, Gibbs, also considered Tony to be the son he'd never had. Gibbs and Tony's relationship might seem complicated to outsiders, but to Abby they were just one big happy family. And right now, she missed her "brother" and wanted nothing more than for him to be back, teasing Tim and flirting with Ziva. And hugging her.

"Hurry up Gibbs. You have to find him. You just have to." Abby finally laid her head down on Tony's desk, and gave in to the pull of sleep.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Dr. Mallord rushed up the steps and into the house, hurrying behind Agent Mallory. He did pause very briefly at the sight of a dead man sprawled on the living room sofa. "Oh dear, oh dear," he muttered, before gathering himself and continuing on.

But he was brought up short again at the sight that greeted him when he hurried into the kitchen, which was now ablaze with light. Mallory had already dialed 911 and was on the phone with the local hospital, giving them the address to the house. "I don't live here!" he shouted. "I told you, I'm from DC. I don't know the directions or nearest cross street. Look it up on your damned computers and get here. NOW!"

Ducky quickly fell to his knees beside the wounded Senior Field Agent, who at that moment was being cradled very gently in Gibbs' arms. "Tell me Jethro, that he is still alive." Ducky reached out a hand that was suddenly trembling and placed two fingers on Tony's neck. "Come on Anthony, don't do this to me." For try as he might, Ducky could not feel any pulse beneath his finger tips.

After what seemed an eternity, and by shifting his hand to various places on Tony's neck, he was finally rewarded by a slight flutter. "He's alive, Duck." Gibbs grim voice would allow no other verdict. "He's alive and you're going to keep him that way."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Special Agent Timothy McGee was hovering somewhere between extreme exhaustion and complete collapse. To say it had been a long day would be the understatement of the year. But he knew he had to hold it together; for his sister's sake and for Tony's sake. Though he and Tony fought and he found the incessant teasing and razzing sometimes bordering on intolerable, he respected the Senior Agent almost as much as he respected Gibbs. And without the fear factor Gibbs still elicited in him. If he was totally honest with himself, he considered Tony as a brother of sorts. To think that his "brother" was out there somewhere, hurting and alone, and all on account of him, was almost more than he could take.

When he and Agent David had checked the last house, the third they had been to, without any sign of their missing colleague and friend, he had wanted to sit down and weep. But the sight of Sarah doing just that in the back seat of the car had hardened his resolve. He had planned on sliding in beside Sarah, to try and reassure her when Ziva had beaten him to it.

Holstering her gun, she climbed in beside Sarah. "Drive, McGee. Let's head toward Laurel unless we hear anything different. He's got to be there." Tiredly, McGee had gotten in the front seat and started the long drive out of the city. He listened in amazement as Ziva managed to comfort his sister in ways he wouldn't have dreamed she was capable of.

About thirty minutes later, Ziva's phone rang. "It is Gibbs," she quietly told McGee, not wanting to disturb Sarah, who was finally a sleep. "David," her crisp voice answered. Listening for a moment, she closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Yes. I understand Gibbs. We will meet you there. No, I will call the Director. You just take care of Tony. And Gibbs, please, when he is awake, tell him I said he must get better. He owes me money, and I could not bear it, I could not stand to lose… Well, he must be well." Ziva's voice broke just the tiniest bit on that statement.

Tim had been watching her in the rear view mirror. "Ziva?" his voice sounded panicked. "They found him? Where is he? How is he? Is he…" Tim could not bring himself to finish the sentence.

"They found him, Tim." Ziva's voice was subdued. "He was at an address in Laurel. The one Bryce said belonged to Beau Tate's father. He is alive, but Gibbs says he is critical. They have called 911 and will be life-flighting him to Washington Hospital Center soon. We are to meet them there."

Agent McGee did a u-turn in the middle of the highway in a maneuver that would have made Gibbs proud. He listened as Ziva called NCIS headquarters and asked to be put through to the Director. She explained what little she knew and said Gibbs had asked for a team to be dispatched to process the scene, and promised Vance she would report from the hospital as soon as they had word.

"Oh, and director Vance?" Ziva continued. "Gibbs said to tell Abby that she should meet him at the hospital. He said to tell you, sir, that you are to drive her there."

Director Vance listened to Agent David's brief report. He was already heading down the stairs to get Abby. "Who will be staying at the sight until Balboa's team gets there?" he asked. There was a brief pause before Ziva replied, somewhat hesitantly.

"Agent Gibbs said, and I quote, 'Mallory will be securing the scene. Tell the Director if he isn't satisfied with that, he can fire me'." Ziva waited, wincing slightly as she anticipated the Director's reaction. However, all she heard was a brief, "Fine. Ms. Scuito and I will meet all of you at the hospital." Then the line went dead.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Tony DiNozzo could not quite place the sound he was hearing. At first it reminded him of a buzz, or maybe a low hum. He frowned and tried to raise a hand to wave at whatever bug he figured must be flying around his head. But before he could register that his arm seemingly refused to cooperate, his hand was captured in a strong one. And finally the unclear noise resolved itself into a low voice. A voice he recognized and one he had wondered if he would ever hear again.

Prying his eyes open ever so slightly, he squinted up at the light being shined in them. "Boss?" his voice was barely a whisper. "How'd you; the phone. I mean, I couldn't reach it. Where?" But Gibbs was quietly reassuring him.

"Easy, son. Rest easy, I've got you now. You're going to be fine." At that moment Tony stiffened and could not restrain a cry of pain, as he felt his leg being lifted, and the belt around it being loosened.

"Aww, Boss. Hurts," was all the sick agent could get out. Not wanting to scream out loud, he clenched his teeth tightly and wrapped the fingers of his right hand around Gibbs' wrist, squeezing tightly. His left was being held down by Agent Mallory as Ducky tried to insert an IV.

Tony's confusion grew as the people around him increased in number. After three tries, Ducky finally was able to insert the needle in a very dehydrated vein. Two paramedics were working on his leg, applying a pressure bandage to stop the flow of blood that had resumed as soon as they had released his makeshift tourniquet. A third was taking his blood pressure, or attempting to. Gibbs first had to pry Tony's fingers from around his wrist.

Through it all, Tony's eyes remained locked on Gibbs, and he was able to pick the sound of his voice out over the murmurs and muted orders going on around him. Over and over he heard the same words, "I've got you now. You're going to be fine, son." When Tony wasn't sure he could stand a moment more, he zeroed in on that one word—son. And it was enough to get him through the next several hours.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

The next thing Agent DiNozzo was aware of was being in a hospital room. Though he was in pain, it wasn't nearly as excruciating as before. And sitting in a chair beside his bed, was a sleeping Gibbs.

Tony watched him for a moment, trying to remember if the boss had really called him "Son." He didn't realize he'd drifted back to sleep until he was wakened again; this time by Gibbs' hand lightly tapping him on the back of the head. When Tony opened his eyes, he saw a rare sight. Gibbs was smiling.

"I told you it would be fine. And I have a message for you. Ziva says you owe her money. Rule number 49 – never loan money to your co-workers, you got that, Son?"

"Got it, 'Dad'." Tony tentatively tried the word out, and found he liked how it sounded and felt. He closed his eyes again, knowing that neither of them would speak of this moment, at least not the "Son and Dad" part. But he also knew Gibbs was right, everything would be fine.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

A few days later, Tony knew he was on the mend. Tim and Ziva had been in to see him and had filled him in on the investigation. They had particularly enjoyed telling him all about Abby's long rant, and how she had mixed up her movie references. So when Abby showed up to see him, bringing him flowers, a chocolate bar, and Bert the Hippo to keep him company, he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Really, Abby? James Bond and Gone With the Wind?" Indiana Jones In Casablanca? Come on Abs, I taught you better than that!" Laughter broke out, and Team Gibbs was once again back to their usual bantering and good natured teasing.

Gibbs, listening from the hallway couldn't suppress his smile. He looked up as Agent Mallory came tentatively down the hall. Taking pity on the younger man, Gibbs motioned him to go on in, knowing Tony would not hold a grudge.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Four days later, Tony was released; after successful surgery to repair the damage to his leg. Tim insisted on taking him to his place until he could get around unaided. Tony was in for a lot of physical therapy and he was already complaining about the crutches. But for once, his complaints and incessant movie rants sounded very good to one very relieved Agent McGee.

After getting Tony settled in the spare bedroom, and promising him pizza for dinner, Tim turned on his computer, and relaxed for the first time in days. Deep into his game, the one that had Gibbs and everyone else referring to him as "Elf-Lord," he looked up in surprise when the doorbell sounded.

'Hmm, pizza isn't due for half an hour,' he thought to himself. Not wanting to take any chances, especially after the last pizza delivery had gone so badly for Tony, he grabbed his gun from the shelf by the front door, and looked outside the peephole. Two Washington, D.C. police were standing outside. Cautiously, Tim opened the door and asked brusquely, "Yes, Officer, what can I do for you?"

"We have a warrant to search your home, now stand aside." But Tim wasn't about to fall for that. "Let me see your Identification," he demanded, even as he was hitting the speed dial on his phone, to call Gibbs. But before he could complete the call, a third officer appeared from the side of the house, gun pointed at him. "Drop your weapon, Agent McGee. And step inside."

Tim might have resisted, he might have tried to get a shot off if he hadn't heard Tony's voice coming from the bedroom, along with the sound of his awkward movements as he advanced into the living room on his crutches. A huge yawn sounded in Tony's voice. "What's going on, McNoisy?"

Tim whirled, shouting, "Get back, Tony; call Gibbs." But a rifle butt crashed across the back of his head and he collapsed in a boneless heap. Tony stood, watching in astonishment as three apparent police officers stormed into the room, and quickly took control of the situation.

Since Tony's cell phone was in the bedroom, and now all three guns were pointed at him, he didn't even attempt a call. Instead he just wearily shook his head and said, "Really? Again? I've got to stop ordering pizza."

The three wasted no time in manhandling both Tony and McGee into their supposed patrol car. Tony could not believe this was happening again, but in some small way, though he knew it was childish of him, he couldn't help being glad he wasn't alone this time. He held onto the thought that Gibbs had been phoning to check on him every couple of hours, and would soon know that this time two of his agents were missing.

He held onto the thought that whoever these guys were, they couldn't be as bad as Mehi had been. He held onto the thought that his "Dad" would come to his rescue, again and again; as often as was necessary.

He held onto all those positive thoughts until they pulled away into the darkness and the man in the front seat turned around and said, "Welcome to hell. I'm James Mehi and I'm going to finish what my son started."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N: _Okay, that's it for this chappie. Let me know what you think – too cheesy? I sense some more Tony Whump and possibly some Tim Thumping could be waiting for them in the near future. So, should I wrap it up quickly or continue on for a few more chapters?_**


	10. The First Eight Hours

**Disclaimer: I own nothing NCIS related. **

**A/N: _Thanks for the reviews and your encouragement. I hope you are all familiar with a 24 hour clock – it will help make this chapter a little clearer._**

_**Lots of Tony-whump in this chapter and there will be some some Tim thumping in the next one as well. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review.**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Ten**

"**The First Eight Hours"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**1600 – Monday.** Tony DiNozzo really could not believe this was happening – again. And to him – again. Gibbs was simply going to kill him. If he had the chance, that is. Tony tried very hard to remain positive about life in general and his in particular, at least most of the time. But there were times when he really wondered if maybe he was cursed. Really, how many people in the 21st century had the plague and survived it; let alone got blown up as often as he seemed to, or at least were in a car or building when it did. So he was trying to keep the proverbial stiff upper lip and all that other marine crap, but he had to admit, it was really getting hard. And he wished Tim would wake up.

They had been taken in the patrol car a short distance away, then transferred to a van. One that was non-descript of course, and had no window. And there was absolutely no one around when both he and McGee had been shoved into the back and the door had been slammed shut. Tony laid his head back against the wall, wishing he was anywhere but here. He wished his leg hadn't started throbbing again and he really, really wished Tim would wake up. Besides being worried about him, he didn't like feeling so alone. And he wished he wasn't handcuffed again; he'd at least like to turn Tim over and make sure he was breathing ok. But his arms were secured over his head, to the back of the one bench seat in the van. Tim's hands were similarly cuffed behind him, and he hadn't so much as stirred since they'd been put inside this moving coffin.

Tony shook his head at that thought. "_Got to stop that DiNozzo. Abby wouldn't like it if she knew you were thinking of her bed like that_." Dispiritedly he used his foot and pushed at Tim, hoping maybe he'd get a response this time. He was more than a little surprised when he did. A muffled moan at least assured him that McGee was still breathing. _"He's gonna' have a hell of a headache though; probably won't be too happy I woke him up."_ But that thought didn't stop Tony from nudging the other agent again.

**1730 – Monday. **Timothy McGee wished he knew why his head ached so badly. And whatever or whoever was poking at his shoulder was going to get a piece of his mind, once he could figure out what was going on. And why he was lying face down on a hard surface that seemed to be moving fairly rapidly. The last thing he really remembered was ordering one of those god-awful pizzas Tony liked so much.

Tony. Something about his partner made him uneasy. All of a sudden, memory came roaring back, along with more pain as he tried to push himself to a sitting position. But a voice he recognized, though it was hoarse with pain, stopped him.

"Easy there, McMonster-headache." Tony sounded like he didn't feel much better than McGee did. Trying not to moan, Tim managed to roll over onto his back, even though he quickly realized that wasn't such a good idea. His hands were quite obviously secured behind him and laying on them on the floor of what he determined was a van of some sort didn't feel too good either.

McGee opened his eyes all the way and tried to remember just exactly how he'd gotten into such a predicament. "You okay, DiNozzo?" he managed to rasp out. His voice didn't sound much better than Tony's.

"Oh I'm just peachy, McGee." He could hear the sarcasm laced through Tony's voice. But it took on a slightly lighter tone as he asked, "How's your head? Bet it feels like a Mack Truck ran over it." Tim could hardly believe it; he was almost sure he heard sympathy in the other agent's voice.

Using his elbows, he managed to scoot up until he was more or less sitting upright. Looking around, he dropped his eyes to Tony's leg, noting that at least it wasn't bleeding. "I'm ok, Tony. How's the leg? Any idea what's going on? Who grabbed us? Did you get through to Gibbs? Where…?"

"Whoa there, McNosy." Tony was trying to stay upbeat, knowing the younger agent had to be scared. Hell, Tony was terrified, but damned if he was going to let anyone see that. At least not yet. "One question at a time."

Tim closed his eyes in frustration, then took a deep breath to calm himself. He knew getting more upset wouldn't help either of them. Tony glanced toward the front of the van where their captors were sitting. Mehi was driving; the other two seemed to be napping, one in the passenger seat and one in the bench seat that Tony was secured to.

"The leg's ok, you don't want to know who that is up there and no, my phone was slightly out of reach when you went crashing to the floor. I had to decide, go for the phone or try to stop you from falling into your computer. Of course, knowing how important that system is to you, 'Elf-lord', I tried to catch you. Didn't work out so well. In retrospect, I should have let you fall and went for the phone."

McGee sighed, this time in exasperation. "DiNozzo. Knock it off. Who are these guys?"

Tony turned serious. "Not good news Tim. The guy driving, that's Blake Mehi's father. Said he's going to kill us. But don't worry; I've been through this kind of thing a time or two before. They haven't killed me yet. Not going to let them take out either one of us this time, either."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**1600 - Monday** – **NCIS Headquarters.** Agent Ziva David openly eavesdropped as Gibbs tried first Tim's cell, then Tony's for the 3rd time in the last 30 minutes. "There is no answer, Gibbs?" she asked the obvious question and received a glare for her efforts.

"No. And I gave pretty specific orders." Gibbs thought for a moment, then stood. "Grab your gear, David." He did not need to tell her where they were going. He momentarily thought about informing Vance what they were going to do, but decided against it. He had nothing to go on, except a few unanswered calls. And his gut. Unfortunately, he trusted his gut and just knew that somehow his agents had managed to get into trouble. Again. Less than 24 hours after Tony had been released from the hospital. With an uncharacteristic sigh and a slight slump to his shoulders, Gibbs led the way to the stairs, deciding he needed to expend some of his frustration. He did so by descending them in record time, with Ziva right on his heels.

**1730 – Monday – McGee's apartment. **Getting out of the car, Gibbs motioned for Ziva to check around back. Not noticing anything unusual, he knocked on the door, then when there was no answer, pulled out his key ring and quietly unlocked the door, easing it open. Inside he felt his guts churning more. Ziva quickly cleared the back, and came into the house behind him. As Gibbs checked Tim's bedroom and bathroom, she looked around the kitchen and spare bedroom, where Tony had been resting last time she had seen him.

"What has happened now Gibbs? Has not Tony been through enough?" Ziva's question simply echoed the one that was screaming inside Gibbs' mind. He didn't know if he could stand it if Tony had been hurt again. But there was simply no reason for both he and McGee to be gone without checking in. He knew that once again, DiNozzo, the young man who had worked his way past all the defenses Gibbs had managed to keep in place with everyone else, and had become like a son to him, was most likely in trouble again. His only consolation was that at least this time Tony wasn't alone. At least, he had to believe McGee was with him and was all right.

Holstering his gun, he indicated Ziva should check the bedroom more thoroughly. "We're treating this as a crime scene, David. And this time, we're processing it ourselves."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**1900 – Monday – outside of Thurmont, Maryland. **Tony had been quietly arguing with McGee for almost an hour as they traveled. "Look, McGee, you don't have a say in this." When he wanted to, DiNozzo could come across almost as intimidating as Gibbs did. "I'm Senior Field Agent, and I've definitely had more experience at this kind of thing than you have – you can't argue with that. So you'll follow my lead and do what I say, no matter how stupid it might sound to you."

McGee started to argue again, but at that point the van slowed. "Time to get your game face on McGee. And what I say goes. That's an order." That was all Tony had time for before the van came to a complete halt. Tensing, both he and Tim tried to ready themselves for whatever was coming next.

The back doors were thrown open. Tony made note that there was no attempt being made to keep quiet. That didn't make him feel particularly good. Tim nodded at him, not necessarily in agreement with the order he'd been given, but to let him know he'd caught on to the same thing.

With a rather large shotgun being trained on them by the man who had formerly been in the front passenger seat, neither agent made any attempt at escape as Mehi and the other man un-cuffed Tony and hauled them both out. He hoped they would leave his arms fee and was a bit surprised when they did. But as his crutches were thrust at him and he was given a shove that caused him to fall to his knees before he could catch himself, he figured it was just because they didn't want to go to the trouble of carrying him. Tony pulled himself up, trying not to notice that the carefully stitched wound in his leg had broken open slightly and was just beginning to ooze a little blood.

Both he and Tim tried to look around, but darkness was falling fairly quickly. They were hustled into an old barn, and neither of them could see any other buildings anywhere close by. That fact, combined with the obvious lack of any need to stay quiet made Tony's insides turn to jelly. This scenario did not look good. He knew he wasn't in very good shape to begin with, and he didn't want to dwell on what was likely to happen to both of them.

They were pushed into a room, more like a stall than anything else. A stall with strong doors, a large steel padlock on the outside and no windows. Tony saw McGee looking around and sizing things up as they entered and made a mental note that his probie had really grown up. He just hoped Tim would go along with whatever Tony deemed necessary for their survival.

Once they were both inside, Mehi nodded at the other two men to leave them alone. Then he stared for a few unnerving moments at the two agents. Finally, when both McGee and DiNozzo stared unflinchingly back, he sneered at them.

"You know I'm going to kill you both. Slowly and painfully. And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. But I guarantee that you won't. My only decision is which one of you to start with." He swiveled his head, looking from one to the other, before crossing over and unlocking McGee's handcuffs.

In that moment, DiNozzo's years of training kicked in and he went with his instincts. He wanted to protect McGee as much as possible from what he knew was coming. Realizing Mehi was nothing more than a grown up bully, he figured the man would not be able to resist going for the weaker target. Especially if it caused the sort of mental anguish Tony knew it would bring to McGee.

Heaving a shuddering sigh, he broke eye contact. "Just don't hurt me anymore, please? I really don't think I can take it." Tony ignored McGee's astonished look and motioned toward his partner with one of his crutches. "This is all his fault anyway. His and his spoiled little sister's."

Mehi considered for moment, then broke into an evil kind of smile; the kind that made McGee's skin crawl. Tim had initially been taken aback at Tony's words, but quickly figured out what the older agent was trying to do. "Stop it, Tony," he muttered, almost under his breath. But before he could say anything more, Mehi took two long strides, and grabbed the Senior Agent by his arm. "Fine. I'm happy to start with you; since you're sniveling like a little girl. It doesn't really matter; you're both going to end up just as dead." And he yanked him from the room, out of Tim's sight. McGee heard the lock being secured behind him, then everything grew quiet. He hated this; hated what he knew was probably going to happen to Tony and hated being alone. He hated waiting, not knowing exactly what to expect. He hated the silence.

But in the next few minutes, he would have given almost anything for the silence to return. Tim listened in growing alarm at the sounds coming from a stall that was obviously only a few feet away. The thuds of fists hitting flesh and bone were bad enough; but when those sounds were coupled with Tony's pitiful sounding cries and pleas for the beating to stop, he didn't know if he could take it. He knew Tony was playing up being weak and frightened, but the sounds coming from him were still hard to listen to. As the beating seemed to go on and on, he eventually slid down the wall onto the floor, and placed his hands over his ears, wishing he could shut the sickening noises out. Just as he thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, he heard a new sound. Trying to identify what he was hearing, then horror-struck when he did; he slowly started banging his already bruised head against the wall, trying to use his own pain to block the appalling noises out.

This time Tony's cries were real, as something hard impacted with more than just soft tissue. Tim wished he could stop it; he knew in that moment he'd do anything if he just take the other agent's place. He plainly heard the sound of bones breaking. He had no idea how or why Tony could possibly still be conscious, and when he heard a long strangled scream come through the walls, he just wished it would be over.

And in the next instant, he was terrified that maybe it **was** over. For after what sounded like a few more fists hitting his partner, or maybe someone kicking him, Tony's voice was suddenly silenced. He heard one more shout of agony, which was followed by an eerie quiet that was terrible in what it signified.

And then began the longest hour of McGee's life. Though now he strained to hear anything at all, any noise, any groan or whimper, there was nothing. He began calling out, then yelling, demanding to know what had happened to his partner. "Damn you to hell, Mehi! What have you done to him?" Tim stood up and began pounding on the walls, and shaking the door. But the silence continued to reign, mocking him. Finally, as his own head felt like it would surely explode, he once again slid down the wall, and wondered what life would be like without his best friend.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**1900 – McGee's Apartment. **Gibbs and David worked tirelessly to process everything in McGee's apartment. But as it had been when DiNozzo had originally been taken, there was very little evidence. After finishing bagging the missing men's cell phones, Ziva went outside to see if there was any video surveillance in the area. While she was gone, Gibbs reluctantly called headquarters to report to Vance.

The tongue lashing he endured from the director seemed no more than he deserved. "Seriously, Gibbs? You've lost TWO agents this time?" Though in other circumstances, it might have seemed almost amusing, Gibbs knew this situation was anything but humorous. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes, trying to ease the headache that had started up. He asked the director to advise Abby, Ducky and Palmer of what had happened and have them all come back to the office if they'd left, and to have Mallory once again take up protective detail with Sarah McGee. And he did something he very rarely did. He asked for back up.

"Balboa's team must feel like they're working for me now; but see if any of them will volunteer to put in some extra hours, will you Leon? And lay off me." Gibbs' voice was showing his irritation as the director started to berate him again. "It isn't like we planned this. Right now, all I care about is getting my men back. Hopefully in one piece this time."

Agent Ziva David was equally troubled. She and Tony had been through some extremely difficult times together; she had not been sure their relationship, whatever it was, would survive the incident with Michael Rivkin. But it had, and lately, DiNozzo had become a very close friend. One she had no intention of losing; Ziva had lost too many people she cared about in her life already. There was no way she was ever going to be able to repay him for coming after her in Somalia; but she knew she would give her life trying to. So she was very gratified when she discovered several different cameras in the area. Evidently McGee's neighborhood was part of something called a "Neighborhood Video Watch." She made a mental note to ask Abby exactly what that was when she had a moment.

Wasting no time, she secured the surveillance tapes and hurried back. "Gibbs, I have three different surveillance tapes. If you are finished here, we should get these to Abby." She didn't even stop to think that she was giving her boss a direct order. Gibbs simply nodded, and led the way out, locking the door behind them.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**2030 hours - Monday – barn outside of Thurmont, Maryland. **McGee had no idea he had somehow managed to doze off until he heard the door being opened. Climbing warily to his feet, he dreaded what he might happen next. Though he wanted to face their attackers as bravely as Tony had, he knew he didn't have the experience both DiNozzo and Gibbs did with the kind of pain he had heard being inflicted. More than that, though, was his dread of what had happened to Tony. Was he even still alive? And if he was, could he keep him that way? It was dark now, with only the tiniest bit of light filtering through. He almost welcomed the darkness, wishing he could hide from what might be coming.

But McGee had no trouble discerning the form of his partner as Tony was dumped unceremoniously on the floor in a heap. Mehi was nowhere to be seen; the other two men dragged the NCIS agent in and left just as quickly as they'd come, without responding to Tim's anxious inquiries. They did flip a light on outside the stall, so there was now slightly more illumination.

Tim dropped down beside Tony and carefully turned him over onto his back. He heard his shallow breathing, and his first emotion was incredible relief that Tony was still alive, followed by shock when he got his first real glimpse of him. He sucked in his breath when he saw the amount of damage DiNozzo had taken. They had ripped his shirt from his lanky frame and the injuries were obvious. The bruises from the beating Blake Mehi had given him had just begun to fade; but the coloration decorating his man's face and torso was truly spectacular.

Tim began to gently feel along Tony's arms, then his shoulders and ribcage, wincing when he felt the obvious displacement of a broken collar bone on his right shoulder and at least 5 broken ribs; 3 on the right in front and two on his lower left back. And the bastard had obviously taken pleasure in giving extra attention to the gunshot wound in Tony's leg. The bandaging that had been applied at the hospital was ripped away, and the stitches had been pulled out, r more likely, what he had beaten Tony with had done the damage. The wound was open and bleeding again.

McGee pulled off his own shirt, tearing it up and using it to make a bandage, which fortunately stopped most of the bleeding. Not knowing what else to do for his injured friend, he settled on easing Tony into a half sitting position, and leaning him back against his own chest; knowing that his ability to breath freely could become an issue. How long he sat there, he wasn't sure, but it didn't seem like too much time went by before Tony began to restlessly move his head and a few rough groans sounded from deep in his throat.

Tim could hardly believe it when he heard himself making soothing noises to DiNozzo. But it seemed appropriate, especially when before Tony regained full consciousness, he whispered something that ripped at McGee's heart. "Dad? 'S that you? You here?" And somehow, Tim knew Tony wasn't asking for DiNozzo, Sr.

"It's okay, Tony. You're ok," Tim hated himself for lying, but he didn't know what else to do. He knew the other agent was anything but okay, but he needed to keep him from stirring too much. It didn't seem like much time went by before DiNozzo was wide awake and looking around. He tensed with the pain and raised his head slightly as he realized he was resting against the younger agent. His first words were typical Tony.

Tim knew DiNozzo must be okay, at least for now, when he realized that somehow, in spite of the situation, he was still able to tease him. "Easy there, McFeelings," his voice was hardly more than a whisper. "We don't know each other quite that well yet." However the effect Tony was obviously going for was lost when his quip ended with a wet sounding cough. Tony started gasping for breath and his arms started flailing around. The pain that elicited only added to his lack of oxygen and even as McGee heaved him into more of a sitting position, DiNozzo's head lolled to one side as the agony overtook him and sent him briefly back into the welcoming darkness.

His respite was short lived however, and the next time he regained awareness, Tim was ready. "Don't try to talk, for once just shut up and listen, will you?" Tony was feeling too sick to argue, and instead gave an almost imperceptible nod. Though he had a smart aleck come-back ready to go, it was forestalled by another round of coughing. This time though, he held on to both his consciousness and McGee's left arm, not aware he was grasping his wrist tightly enough to almost cut off the circulation.

As he leaned his partner forward slightly, Tim couldn't help but scold him. "So what the hell was that all about? You trying to get yourself killed? You think I didn't see what you were doing? DiNozzo, you didn't have to take this all on yourself, you know."

Tony let his head fall back until in rested against McGee's chest again. "Not to worry, Mc-In-A-Hurry," he gasped out. "I have a feeling your turn is coming."

**2030 hours - Monday – NCIS Bullpen. **Abby had been even more sad and subdued than Gibbs was prepared for when he and Ziva returned. Other than asking him why this had happened again, she had remained quiet and almost sullen. But she took the surveillance tapes Ziva produced and immediately went to work on them.

Before long, she called Gibbs and both he and David went to her lab, where Ducky and Palmer were already waiting with her. She showed them what she had found and it was less than encouraging.

Clicking through her computer screens, Abby's voice took on a sing song quality as if she were teaching remedial students. "See, here at exactly 1533, a patrol car pulls up to McGee's apartment. You can see his front door open, and them going inside. Then at 1539, they come out again. That looks like DiNozzo; see? Crutches. And they are dragging someone else." Abby's voice trailed off as she acknowledged to herself that the man who looked unconscious at best, and dead at worst, was undoubtedly McGee.

Squaring her shoulders as Ducky laid a comforting hand on her arm; she shook her head and continued. "I followed the patrol car as long as I could track it. It turned on a side street and disappeared. No surveillance equipment in that area, I already checked."

"Gibbs, that car is totally hinky. I called the local LEOs and they don't have a car with that license plate." She zoomed in on the back of the car, showing the plate. "The plate comes up as a stolen car, an old one. And if you look closely, you'll see it isn't a government plate at all."

Gibbs gave her a quick hug. "Good work, Abs." Turning on his heel, he beckoned Ziva to follow him. "We'll go locate the car. Ducky, call the director; update him. Tell him to have a tow truck on standby. I have a feeling we'll find the car abandoned, and when we do, I want it back here. Abby, you and Ziva will take it apart."

Abby stood silently watching Gibbs and Ziva go as Ducky left to call Vance. To her surprise, Jimmy gently took her by the hand and led her to a chair. He knelt in front of her and looked up. "They'll be all right, Abby." Jimmy's smile was restrained, but his eyes shone with confidence. "We'll get them back and they WILL be all right."

Tears formed in Abby's eyes, in spite of her best efforts. "How do you know, Jimmy? Tony's already hurt and Tim isn't used to this. I'm so scared."

Jimmy stood then and raised her chin so he could look directly at her. "They'll be all right, Abby, because Gibbs won't allow anything else."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Midnight – Tuesday morning – barn outside Thurmont, Maryland. **Tony was dozing fitfully, in between spells of coughing. He hated feeling so weak, but he had no strength left. Tim had been a rock; propping him up when he needed to cough and letting him rest against him when he could sleep.

But their time of peace and quiet was about to come to an abrupt end. Both of them stiffened when they heard the lock being opened. Tony had hoped Mehi would delay what he knew was inevitable, until at least the morning. He'd hoped Mehi would be tired out from the beating he'd already administered to him. He'd hoped against hope Gibbs would somehow find them and Tim would be spared.

Tim carefully eased Tony back against the wall and stood. He knew he was next and he decided he would face whatever was coming head on. The door opened and Mehi stood silhouetted in the dim light.

He smiled when he saw that Tony was unable to get to his feet, and instead was struggling not to give into the cough that could be held back. "Now, boys, I'm not unreasonable. I tell you what. I'll make a deal. I don't want much."

McGee took step forward, fists clenched. He was determined that this time Tony would not bear the brunt of the punishment. "Yeah? What exactly do you want, scum ball?" Tim was surprised that instead of fear, he felt a growing rage. _"Huh,"_ he thought to himself. _"Maybe this is how Tony and Gibbs take it. They just get mad enough not to be scared." _

Mehi smiled his evil smile again. "As I said, Agent McGee, I don't want all that much at all. Tell you what. I'll trade your partner for one of two things. Either you can give me my son back, or I'll take your sister instead."

At this McGee's face turned red with rage. "You'll die a cold hard death before you get your hands on my sister."

Mehi turned around and motioned for the two thugs to come in. "I kind of figured that's what you'd say." With a nod, he indicated the two should take Tim.

Tony tried to intervene. He tried to stand up; to think of something that would stop what he knew had to be coming. But his legs wouldn't support him and as he attempted to call out; he was seized by the most violent coughing fit he'd had yet. The last thing he remembered was Tim's face, looking back over his shoulder at him. And he saw something in the younger agent's eyes that made him proud.

Tim wasn't afraid. He was just plain pissed off. That gave Tony hope he could withstand whatever was going to happen next.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Midnight – Tuesday morning – work room, NCIS Headquarters. **Abby had been unaccountably comforted by Palmer's words. And when the patrol car was brought in, she was ready. Dressed in her favorite coveralls, she began to take the car apart, piece by piece. She would find something that would help them; if it was the last thing she did. Whatever happened next, she had to believe that.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N: _Thanks for reading. I have most of the rest of the story outlined and roughed in. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter ready to post in a few days. _**


	11. The Next Few Hours

**Disclaimer: I own nothing NCIS related.**

**A/N: **_Thank you all for the kind reviews, for those who have alerted to this story and especially to those who have listed it as one of their favorites. The traffic it has been getting has truly surprised and amazed me. I'm especially gratified for all you worldwide readers._

_The first part of this chapter is dedicated to DarkRose2006 who has been one of my most faithful reviewers, and asked for a scene depicting what happened between Mehi and Tony. So I was glad to accommodate her request. Thanks also to purple909, my newest reviewer. Your kind words meant so very much to me and were an incredible encouragement._

_Shout out to all of my reviewers in no particular order. If I have missed anyone, I'm truly sorry: _

_**nix, The Nagging Cube, Megth, mbj, April, Diana teo, mikiss, princessesmeralda, DarkRose2006, It's Weatherly time, Sparkiebunny, Julie 250, purple909, Long Live Brucas, tansysam, NCISalltheway, Shywr1ter, Belker, deniche, sopmire, Anaika Skywalker, DS2010, Deluded Visions, tvbatina, special agent Ali, Laurie and rittandy**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Eleven**

"**The Next Few Hours"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**0030 hours - barn near Thurmont, Maryland. **NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo did not feel very special at the moment. He was leaning against a hard wall in a barn, locked in a stall. He was injured worse than he had been in a long, long time, maybe ever, and he knew something was really wrong with his lungs. He was able to tell that due to the fact that (a) he could hardly get a full breath and (b) every time he tried to pull enough air into his lungs, he couldn't stop coughing. He didn't want to think about what it meant, but with his history of plague, he knew he was likely developing pneumonia, on top of everything else. And it didn't help that each time he had one of the coughing fits, his ribcage felt like it was being smashed into tiny pieces, and his right shoulder, which he knew was broken, sent stabs of excruciating pain shooting through his whole upper body. In all, he was a mess.

But that wasn't what was really bothering him. What really made him feel so awful was the fact that his friend and partner was in the next stall over, receiving some of the same treatment he'd gotten several hours earlier. He could hear the sounds of a beating going on, and though Agent McGee was obviously trying his best to be stoic, he couldn't quite contain all his cries of pain. The whole thing made Tony relive what had happened to him when Mehi had worked him over. Though he didn't want to think about it, each time he heard Tim taking a hit, Tony couldn't help but be brought back to his own experience.

**Five and a half hours earlier: **_Tony had stumbled, being half dragged out of the stall. Mehi's grip on his arm was firm and it was all the agent could do not to fall as he tried to walk without his crutches on his injured leg. He'd only had one session of physical therapy before leaving the hospital and had been told emphatically NOT to put his full weight on the leg for at least two weeks. Tony's active mind couldn't help wondering what the therapist, a cute woman about 35 years old that that he had, of course, flirted with, would think of this. But his mind was soon taken off the increasing pain in his leg._

_He was taken into another stall, one that shared a wall with the one he had just been in. He figured that was so McGee would be sure to hear what was going on. Tony looked around as soon as one of Mehi's men flipped on a light switch. The single bulb hanging from the ceiling gave just enough light to show that there were some iron rings on that same wall, and Tony had a pretty good idea what that meant._

_Without delay, the two thugs grabbed him and secured arms to the rings. Mehi wasted little time. He came and stood in front of DiNozzo, looked him in the eye and smiled. Tony, trying to stay in the character of a frightened and beaten opponent swallowed and looked down, not meeting his tormenter's eyes. Inside, he wondered how much of his display of cowardice was an act, and how much was because he was simply terrified. But he didn't have long to contemplate the situation._

_Mehi started with a simple beating; in fact it reminded DiNozzo all too much of the one Blake Mehi had administered. Mehi's fists hit him first in the stomach, causing him to bend over as far as his shackles would allow. The breath rushed from his lungs and he huffed out a cry of pain. _

'_At least,' he thought to himself in between continued blows to his torso, 'I can yell all I want to. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea, after all.' But it wasn't long until he began to regret his little charade._

_After beating him long enough to have Tony gasping for breath, Mehi suddenly stopped. "Well, DiNozzo," his voice was deceptively quiet. "I don't believe for a moment that you are the weak one here. I think you were just trying to save your partner. But before I kill you, I want you to know it won't work. He's going to die; but then, so are you. I just want to draw it out for awhile. And I don't think you're hurting enough yet to scream like I want you to. So I need to change that."_

_Tony was doing his best to remain upright. His leg was hurting badly and he was trying to keep his weight off it without putting too much pressure on his chained arms. So during the brief respite, while Mehi stepped out of the stall, he leaned over, putting all his weight on his right leg. He leaned his head back against the hard wall and closed his eyes. So far he didn't think anything was broken and he could only hope that good luck would continue. He wondered how Tim was doing in the next stall, knowing that if their positions were reversed, he would hate it. In fact, he'd rather be the one taking the beating, than the one listening to it. At least that was what he told himself._

_DiNozzo heard the door open but didn't open his eyes. He figured it would help keep up his act if he didn't look up. But when the silence went on for a long time, he finally couldn't help himself. And when he opened his eyes and saw Mehi standing in front of him holding a piece of wood that was shaped somewhat like a small club, he couldn't stop himself from gulping with a dreadful anticipation._

_The look on Mehi's face was one of pure insanity. Tony knew they were in real trouble; that there would be no reasoning with the man. His only hope was that Gibbs and Ziva would find them in time. All these thoughts raced through his mind just before Mehi raised the club. And this time, Tony didn't have to fake the scream that came from deep inside him. _

_The club hit him on his right collar bone, and he knew the instant it broke. The pain was sharp and piercing. But he didn't have long to dwell on it. The next blows were to his ribs and again, he felt the snap of bones. Another cry of pure agony was ripped from him before he could stop it. Now gasping for breath in earnest, he had little time to think about trying to look weak or strong. The next blows were to his injured leg, and he felt the blood start to trickle down his leg. He was amazed that was aware of such a small thing, when all he really felt was the overpowering pain. But maybe his senses were heightened in some way. A couple more blows to his arms and torso and he was beginning to fade from consciousness. But Mehi had a few more things in store._

_Tony felt him unlocking the shackles. Though he tried to stay on his feet, his leg would not cooperate and the next thing he knew, he was slumped over in an undignified heap on the floor. Before he could get his bearings, the club descended again. This time it struck his back, once, twice and a third time. The pain was unbearable and again he couldn't contain his long drawn out scream of agony. His breath was locked somewhere between his lungs and his throat and he felt himself finally losing consciousness. A few more blows, this time kicks from the heavily booted foot of Mehi to his already broken ribs, one last agonizing cry of pain and he finally saw the darkness grow and grow until it engulfed him. He welcomed it and gave himself willingly over to it. _

Agent DiNozzo shook his head; he needed to stop this. He realized he was hearing Tim's cries of pain and they were mingling with his own memories, creating a confusing jumble in his mind. It didn't help that he was still in more pain than one person should be expected to bear. With as big a sigh as his laboring lungs could manage, he tried to focus. He needed to know what was happening to McGee, so he could be at least mentally prepared to deal with it. He just hoped it didn't go on much longer. He knew he simply didn't have the strength to be as much support to Tim as the younger agent had been to him. And that pained him almost as much as his injuries did.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**0030 hours – NCIS Headquarters**. Abby Scuito had refused to stop working, even though she knew she wasn't at her absolute sharpest. To her surprise, Jimmy Palmer had volunteered to help her. Though he was mostly used to working on dead bodies, he had proven invaluable. They had torn the fake patrol car apart. And though Abby wasn't completely sure what she was looking for, she knew she'd recognize it when she found it. And she did.

"Ah ha!" Her cry sounded like one of victory. Palmer scooted out from underneath the car and looked up at her. "You found something." It was a statement, rather than a question. "Yes, Jimmy, I did. I, Abby Scuito, forensic scientist extraordinaire, have indeed found something. Something that proves our wonderful, sad, scared, beautiful and very missing agents were in this very car. Well, something that proves that at least one of our wonderful, sad, scared, beautiful and very missing agents were in this very car."

Jimmy pulled himself up off the ground to see what Abby had found. Her jubilation seemed to dim as she considered what this meant. In her heart of hearts she had hoped that somehow Tim and Tony were just playing a prank on them. Of course, she knew they weren't, but she had hoped. However, as she held up McGee's keys in her gloved hand for Jimmy to see, she faced reality.

Leaning over and hugging Jimmy, she couldn't stop the tears from forming. "They're really gone, Jimmy. They really are." She stayed that way for a moment more before straightening up and looking expectantly at the door. Sure enough, right on cue, Gibbs entered.

"Whatta' ya got for me Abs?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**0130 hours - barn near Thurmont, Maryland.** McGee had endured. All he could think as the darkness finally claimed him was that he hadn't totally embarrassed himself. He knew he hadn't been quite as tough as DiNozzo had, but then, he hadn't really tried to be either. His last thought as an extra hard blow to his already bruised head sent him into the welcome oblivion was that he was STILL really pissed off.

Agent DiNozzo tensed as he heard the sudden silence from next door. He, like Tim had before him, feared the worst. But he wasn't left in uncertainly for as long as McGee had been. A few minutes later and he was the one watching his friend be dumped back into their dungeon, which is how Tony had come to view the barn they were being kept in.

Gathering himself and bracing for the pain, Tony half scooted, half crawled over to his friend and partner who was sprawled on his back. Holding his breath, both in anticipation of what he might find, and in order to try and forestall yet another round of coughing, he used his left hand to carefully check McGee's throat for a pulse. To his immense relief, he felt it beating fairly steadily and strongly under his shaky fingers.

Using what little strength he had, he did his best to straighten McGee's limbs. Then, remembering how Tim had been there for him, Tony eased himself back so he was leaning against the wall, and managed to pull Tim's head onto his lap. Leaning over to get a closer look at the nasty bruise that was forming on his temple, he brushed the hair back from Tim's forehead. Sighing, he wished he had a light and could check his pupils. "Well, Tim old pal," he said softly as if he could hear him. "If you thought your headache was bad before, you really aren't going to like the next one."

**0300 hours - barn near Thurmont, Maryland.** McGee knew he had to stop going to the local bar with DiNozzo. He always drank just a little too much when they did, and always woke up with a killer hangover. Tony, on the other hand, seemed to take it in stride, matching the younger agent drink for drink, and always showing up the next morning with his annoyingly cheerful disposition in tact.

At least he must have made it home, he figured; though why he was lying on the floor, with his head on a pillow, instead of in his bed, was beyond him for the moment. Groaning, he slowly opened his eyes. Astonishment broke over his features, just before pain overrode it.

"Wha…? I'm not; where? Tony?" Tim's voice sounded a little weaker than Tony would have liked. Knowing the confusion one felt when waking with a concussion, Tony refrained from the smart comment that was already forming in his mind. "Easy there, Tim. It'll come back to you soon enough. Just rest for a moment. We're not going anywhere for awhile anyway."

McGee glanced around in growing confusion before awareness dawned on him. "Oh Shit. I thought it was just a nightmare."

Tony managed a parody of his usual lighthearted grin. "It is a nightmare, McPuzzled," he replied. "Trouble is we're stuck in the middle of it."

Knowing it helped to talk things through, as McGee grew less confused, Tony urged him to relate what had happened. Tim closed his eyes, and in a voice flat with pain, related the bare facts.

"I imagine you're already pretty familiar with what happened in there, Tony. The guy beat me senseless." Tony closed his eyes, well aware of what Tim had gone through. But still, he encouraged him to talk it through. "Yeah, well, Tim, I beat you senseless pretty much every time we have any kind of a competition. But it isn't the same thing. Talking about it helps. Now spill; I heard it, so what happened in there?"

Tim closed his eyes again and heaved a huge sigh. He wasn't sure reliving this particular bad dream would help, but he figured Tony was more of an expert in this than he was. He began talking in a low voice.

_He'd had been chained to the wall, the same as Tony. Mehi had started in with his fists, same as with Tony. Tim had been surprised at the amount of pain a man could cause like that. He'd been in fist fights before, had even had his nose broken, more than once since joining NCIS years earlier. But he'd never experienced an out and out beating like this before. The only thing that kept him from yelling his head off was remembering how it felt to be sitting in the next room, listening to it happen to your partner. _

_McGee was afraid, though he didn't want to admit it, even to himself. He was barely keeping it together while Mehi hit him again and again. And he was absolutely dreading what he was sure was coming next with the club or bat or whatever the maniac had used to break Tony's bones. _

_But, Mehi seemed to be tiring. After all, it took a great deal of energy to physically hit someone over and over. Tim's head sank almost to his chest when the deranged man finally took a step back._

"_Don't think I'm letting you off easy, McGee. It's your fault all this started in the first place. My son wouldn't have been killed by your partner if you and your sister had just left things alone. So take this as a warning of what's coming."_

_And Mehi reared back, putting all his pent up anger behind his next punch. The blow to McGee's head rocked him back, and he felt his skull bounce off the wall behind him. That was the last he knew until he woke up with his head in Tony's lap. Something he was sure that if they survived this, DiNozzo would find a way to use against him. But Tim kept that thought to himself, knowing he would welcome the teasing and banter, if they were both just still alive when this was over._

"And that's it. He's still gonna' kill us, but I think he just plain wore out for now." Tim's recounting of what had happened had done two things: as Tony had predicted, it did help to talk it through. And it also made him aware he was both exhausted and really, really hurting. But he didn't complain, knowing that DiNozzo had taken the worst of things, and had to be in even more distress than he was.

Both agents said little after that, and before long, Tony's body relaxed and he drifted off into a restless sleep. Now that he knew Tim was okay, as okay as could be expected anyway, he could at least try to rest.

He slept fitfully, disturbed often by the racking coughs that caused him such pain. Tim continued to lie still, waiting for his head to stop spinning. But eventually, as DiNozzo's coughs worsened, and he seemed to be drifting in and out of wakefulness, Tim eased himself into a sitting position and let Tony rest against him. After that both agents managed to sleep for a few hours.

They would need what little rest they were getting in preparation for the harrowing hours yet to come.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**0130 hours – NCIS Headquarters**. Gibbs and Agent David had been going over and over the surveillance tapes while Abby and Jimmy Palmer had been working on the car. After she found McGee's keys, she processed the rest of the car for any DNA that might be there. She and Palmer, along with Ducky, were back in her lab, running the samples.

Ziva rubbed her hand over her eyes, straining to make herself see things more clearly. But she was so tired that everything seemed to blur into one image. However, she knew her partners were out there, possibly being tortured and she knew what they had done for her in the past. So she took another huge gulp of the latest cup of coffee and began going through the tapes one more time.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was watching the same thing as Ziva was. But he was seeing something completely different. Though the tapes showed what had happened over 12 hours ago, he kept seeing Tony. He kept hearing himself tell the younger man that it was going to be all right. _"I've got you now. You're going to be fine, son."_ Those words played over and over and he saw Tony's face, focused on his, trusting him. Trusting that it really would be fine. And he wanted to break down. Because it wasn't fine.

How could he have let this happen to his son, again? Why hadn't he realized that there could be someone else out there connected with the case that still wanted to exact revenge? And what made it doubly hard was that it wasn't only was Tony who was out there somewhere; McGee was too. He just hope they were at least together.

Though Gibbs admitted, only to himself, that he didn't feel exactly the same about Tim as he did about his Senor Agent, he felt he had let him down too. And McGee did not have the experience that DiNozzo unfortunately did with this kind of thing. DiNozzo was tough. He'd been through this before and always survived; usually stronger than ever. McGee had yet to be tested in the fire, so to speak, as Tony had. Gibbs just didn't know if the younger man was strong enough to take it. Hell, he didn't know Tony could handle it again, so soon after the last time.

It was at that moment that Gibbs suddenly realized he hadn't contacted DiNozzo, Sr. He looked at the clock, saw that it was almost 2 a.m. and decided it could wait until morning. Or rather, later in the morning. He was in no mood to deal with Tony's biological father at this moment. Truth was, he wasn't in the mood to share Tony with anyone right now.

Rubbing his neck, trying to work the kinks out, he returned his gaze to the tapes running on the plasma. Looking at Ziva David, he could see she was near exhaustion, but knew she was far from giving up. Following her example and taking a big swig of his now cold coffee, he forced himself to focus again.

**0300 hours – NCIS Headquarters.** Gibbs looked up when he heard the elevator doors open. Hoping that Abby had something, instead he saw Dr. Mallard get off and walk tiredly toward him.

"Jethro," the older man said, approaching him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "I believe we all need a break. Abby is making mistakes, and she never does that. Mr. Palmer is dead on his feet but won't stop as long as the rest of us are working. We're not doing those boys any good this way."

Gibbs started to deny him, but suddenly, as his body demanded that he rest, he gave in. "You're right Duck. We all need to stop and get some sleep." Looking over at Ziva who was barely standing upright, he nodded at her. "David, with me." Ziva did not question him but followed him, Ducky trailing in their wake.

Entering Abby's lab, he gave an order in a tone that brooked no disobedience. "Everyone, stop what you're doing. Find somewhere to lie down. Sleep for a few hours. We have to be at our best to find them and we're not doing anyone much good the way we are right now."

When Abby looked up, tears forming again, he went to her, put his arm around her and pulled her head to his shoulder. Dropping a kiss on top of her head, he gently steered her toward her office. Grabbing Bert the Hippo, which Tony had insisted on giving back to her, he pushed her down to the floor. "Rest Abs. That's what will help them the most."

As she sank down and laid her head on Bert, it gave out its trademark sound. Gibbs smiled, knowing how that would have made Tony laugh. Turning around, he was unsurprised to find that Ducky, Jimmy and Ziva were all making their way close to where Abs was already drifting off to sleep and finding places to sleep near her. Walking over to the wall, he turned the light off, and then joined them.

Lying down on his back on the floor, Gibbs rested his head on his arms. His last thought as he too drifted off was of Tony.

"_I'll find you son. I'll find you and bring you both home."_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N:**_ Ok, that is it for chapter 11. Probably two more chapters after this one I think. If you are enjoying this story, please do take a moment to review. It is more encouraging than you might imagine. Thanks for reading. caro june_


	12. Another Terrible Tuesday

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.**

_**Thanks to all my wonderful readers and especially to all of you awesome and incredible reviewers. You rock my world!**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Twelve**

"**Another Terrible Tuesday"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and McGee:** Early Tuesday morning, Tony DiNozzo wondered if he might be losing his mind. He woke up to find his head leaning on McGee's shoulder. More than that, McGee's arm seemed to be around him. That startled him enough he quickly sat up; or rather he tried to. The sudden movement awoke all kinds of pain sensors and with that, his memory also returned.

"McGee," his voice was gravelly and dry. "I thought I told you, we don't know each other that well…." He broke off as the coughing seized him again. This time he saw black spots before his eyes and felt blood in his mouth. Trying to wipe it surreptitiously from his lips, he was startled when Tim grabbed his arm to stop him.

He was even more startled when Tim kept his firm hold on him. "Don't bother to hide it, Tony." He sounded as weary as Tony felt. "You've been coughing up blood for the last hour and a half. I already know how sick you are." Then Tim surprised him again by laying a hand across his forehead. "Your fever is up too. If I had to guess, I'd say at least 102."

Before Tony could reply, or try to break away from Tim's supporting hold, which unknown to him, was the only thing keeping him from toppling over; they heard a sound they'd hoped not to hear again, at least not so soon. The door was being unlocked.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Morning at NCIS:** Gibbs woke with a start, disoriented for just a moment. Opening his eyes, he asked himself why the hell he was asleep in Abby's office. But the remnant of a dream, where he'd been looking in vain for DiNozzo and McGee came back and he understood then. Sitting up he looked around. He was the only one still there.

After Gibbs hit the head, he went in search of his team, or what was left of it. He found Abby and Ziva looking over the tapes once again. This time they were refining each frame, trying to get a clear picture of any one of the faces of the three men who had abducted their agents.

"Jethro!" Abby hurried over to him, somehow managing to look incredibly refreshed. She hugged him tightly; then released him so quickly he had to take a step back to keep his balance. "Here's your Caf-Pow, only you call it coffee. Ziva went and got it for you. She said she didn't want to face you unless you had coffee, that you would be 'bare' without it."

Gibbs took the coffee without thinking, turning amused eyes on his female agent. "Bare? Agent David?" he asked. Abby giggled, and the sound was so refreshing, Gibbs wanted to hug her again. "I told her she meant you would BE a bear without it, but I kinda like her way better!"

Gibbs just shook his head, and Ziva looked down, trying not to be embarrassed. She knew Tony wondered if she mangled the language on purpose, and truthfully, sometimes she did. But she still had a lot of trouble with English homonyms. Shrugging, she returned to her work.

"Find anything, Abs?" Gibbs took a big drink and squinted at the various pictures on Abby's computers.

Ziva was the one to reply. "We are trying to isolate the frames, to see if we can find a useable picture to run through our databases. If we have an identity on their captors, it may help us locate them."

"Any luck?" Gibbs took a step closer.

"Not yet, not much anyway. But we've got a few we're in the process of cleaning up. We're close to it on these." Abby pointed at three different shots, two that looked to be of the same man and one of a different one. "We should have something in a couple of hours."

"Where's Ducky?" Gibbs asked, looking around.

Again, Ziva was the one to answer. "He and Jimmy had to finish up two autopsies. And since there was not really anything for them to do here right now, I told them it was fine, that we would call them if we were to need them." Ziva had to still be very tired, she didn't bat an eye at the possibility she had overstepped her authority.

"Oh, and Gibbs," she continued as he turned to go in search of Dr. Mallard, "The Director wanted to see you when you woke up. He wants a sit rep."

Turning back, and looking over Abby's shoulder, Ziva indicated one of the pictures. "There, Abby. That one is the best. We should clean it up first." They continued with their work, oblivious to Gibbs' retreating form. "Let me know the second you have anything," he called over his shoulder as the doors closed behind him.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and McGee**. To their surprise, it wasn't Mehi who entered the stall, but one of the thugs who apparently worked for him. And even more surprising was the fact he had a tray in his hands that appeared to have water and some food on it.

A slight tensing of McGee's body let Tony know that the younger agent had seen the possibility of taking the man down. Tony braced himself in preparation but before either of them could do anything, the second thug followed, with the shotgun again trained on them. So instead they relaxed and waited.

"Boss doesn't want you to die of thirst or hunger. Doesn't want you dead quite yet. So eat this, all of it, if you know what's good for you." He set the tray down, several feet away from the agents and backed out of the room.

"You hungry, Tony?" McGee asked. The thought of food actually made DiNozzo nauseous, but he was thirsty. Very thirsty. "Not really. But go ahead and eat, and get me some water will you?"

McGee eased his arm from behind his sick partner and made his way over to the tray, bringing it back with him. He opened a bottle of water and started to bring it to Tony's lips, but Tony reached for it with his left hand and managed to keep from dropping it. He sipped slowly, knowing he had to be careful, though he wanted to gulp the cool liquid down.

Tim looked the food over, picked up something that vaguely resembled an Egg McMuffin and started chewing away. "You'd better eat something, DiNozzo. This is actually pretty good."

Tony managed a snort of laughter before a cough stopped that. He took another sip of water, glad for the way it eased his throat. "Of course, you'd like it McMuffin-Man." But knowing he needed to try and eat something, Tony nodded at the tray. "Got any toast or something?"

Forty-five minutes later, most of the food was gone, though DiNozzo had only managed to eat a half of a piece of toast and a few bites of egg. However, McGee was starving, and gladly put away the rest of it. He drank only a little of the water, though, knowing his partner needed the fluids much worse than he did.

The rest of the morning, they rested and Tony drank as much water as possible. Tim was very pleased when DiNozzo started looked incredibly uncomfortable and began squirming in a way that had nothing to do with his injuries. And he couldn't resist pretending not to know what DiNozzo was too proud to ask, waiting until finally he couldn't stand it.

"McGee, damn it." Tony's voice was still hoarse with pain, but this time the element of irritation overrode that. "You've pissed in the corner at least three times. Now help me up so I can go, before I wet myself."

Somehow McGee managed not to laugh, and helped his friend to his feet, then supported him as Tony did his business. In truth, he was relieved that he needed to go; it meant the dehydration wasn't critical yet.

After that, DiNozzo was completely exhausted and alternately dozed, coughed, and drank more water. Tim had no idea how much time had passed, but he figured each hour that went by meant that Gibbs was closer to finding them.

During one of Tony's more wakeful times, they discussed Gibbs, and how often he had an uncanny way of ferreting information out just in time to solve a case. They reassured each other that he would find them soon. Tim hoped Tony was as sure of himself as he sounded, and as the older agent lapsed into something a little closer to unconsciousness than just dozing, he found himself repeating the words, "_Come on Gibbs, hurry up_."

McGee had fallen asleep again too, and wondered what was next when he heard the lock rattle again. He hoped it was just one of the thugs coming to bring more food, or retrieve the tray. But his hopes were dashed as the door opened and Mehi entered.

"Okay, boys. Your rest and play time is over. Now the real fun begins. Oh and your hope of Gibbs finding you? Never going to happen in time. Now, who's first this time?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**NCIS Headquarters:** Gibbs had finished briefing the director; checked his emails, had a member of Balboa's team check both McGee and DiNozzo's computers to make sure nothing had come in on either of them, and was now in autopsy talking with Ducky.

"Duck," Gibbs voice sounded incredibly weary. "You know Tony's physical condition as well as anyone. How much do you think he can handle?"

Dr. Mallard had sent his young assistant back to Abby as soon as they were finished with the first autopsy, insisting he could handle the second on his own. He looked up from his work and paused to consider Gibbs' questions. "Well, Jethro. I hate to sound like a broken record, but Tony; actually BOTH Timothy and Tony, are young, healthy and strong. And more importantly, they are both incredibly resilient and they have been taught by the best. I will continue to believe they can each handle whatever is given to them to handle; though I admit, I do not like this situation at all."

Gibbs was not often given to self recrimination; or to second guessing his actions or decisions. Years of doing what he did had taught him those were not particularly productive courses of action. But he couldn't help believing he should have somehow known something more could have happened.

At that moment, Bryce Mallory entered the room. "Gibbs," he said. "Sarah McGee is upstairs, studying again. She's pretty upset; do you want to talk to her?"

Gibbs studied the younger man for a moment. "That can wait. Mallory, you don't have any other family that would have a reason to hate NCIS do you?"

Mallory's faced paled. "I don't think so Gibbs. I've obviously thought about it a lot; but my father died several years ago, and my mom is at home in Oregon. I talked to her this morning, and she hasn't left Salem for months. She's living there with her new boyfriend. She was pretty upset about Blake and Beau's deaths. She's in shock and her health hasn't been real good. She didn't even make it out for Blake's funeral."

"How about Blake's or Beau's father?" Gibbs asked.

Mallory shook his head. "Beau's father died last year. And Blake's father; well, when Mom took up with Beau's dad, he was pretty shook up. He left the states and has been living overseas for years. I haven't seen or talked to him since I was in my teens, and I don't think he's had contact with Blake or Beau for at least 5-6 years. Last I knew, he was living in Belgium. I don't even have an address for him."

Gibbs thought for a moment; something about that statement bothered him, but he couldn't quite figure it out. And it was at that moment that Abby's face suddenly appeared on Ducky's monitor.

"Gibbs! I need you up here, now. Right away. This minute."Abby turned away from the screen, but she could still be heard mumbling on. "Immediately. At once, Gibbs! Without delay! Today McFly! Oooh, that sounded like something Tony would say! This instant. Why aren't you here yet? Anytime would be good..."

Gibbs didn't hear anymore, as he was already out the door and headed for her lab. Mallory followed on his heels. Ducky returned to the autopsy and peered down at the face of the marine sergeant who had been killed in a car accident. "Well, sergeant, I do hope Miss Scuito has some vital information. I did not want to share my fears with Jethro, but I am quite concerned about our two missing lads. Quite concerned indeed."

Gibbs and Mallory entered Abby's lab. Abby opened her mouth to say something, but when she saw Bryce, she stopped.

Going over to the screen which was showing a picture that was much clearer than it had been when Gibbs had been in earlier, he asked. "Who is that, Abs? You got an ID on those clowns that took DiNozzo and McGee?"

Mallory had followed him and both Abby and Ziva were watching him closely. Before Abby could reply, he heaved a huge sigh. "I can answer that Gibbs. I guess Blake's father isn't in Belgium anymore. That's James Mehi, Blake's Dad."

Gibbs turned on his heel and glared at the younger agent for a full 30 seconds. Bryce held his gaze, looking miserable, but not guilty. Finally, Gibbs sighed as well. "Not your fault, Bryce. But I just figured out the connection, that's what was bugging me in autopsy. Somewhere I read in a report on the earlier murder cases, one of McGee's, I think, that Ian Patters spent some time in Belgium before coming back to the states. My guess is he and Blake's father met up. Since John Patters was working on this too, hoping to get revenge against DiNozzo, he must have included James Mehi in the deal. And when DiNozzo killed Blake, his father would have wanted his own vengeance."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and McGee**: Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo did everything he could to get to his feet. He saw that James Mehi's sanity was completely gone, and he did not want McGee facing him, especially not alone. But try as he might, he simply couldn't make it all the way up. The best he could do was to push up on one knee. At that point, he was stopped both by his coughing and weakness and by McGee's hand as it rested on his shoulder, holding him down.

"I got this one, Tony." McGee's eyes, as they looked down at DiNozzo were very full of expression. Tony managed to look up and he saw fear, regret and pride all warring there.

Mehi's laugher rang out. "You two take the cake. I might be impressed, touched even, if you didn't remind me of my son and Beau. Those two would do anything for each other. They would die for each other. In point of fact, they did. So now, one of you is going to die."

Tony's voice was barely a whisper as he angled his head to be able to look his partner in the eye. "I'm dying anyway, McGee. Just help me up, damn it."

McGee ignored him, and stepped away, knowing Tony likely couldn't get up on his own. He faced Mehi, and waited.

The deranged man paused. "Of course, there is still another option. Maybe if I call this Gibbs of yours, he'll exchange Sarah McGee for one of you. I still want her, and I might even keep my promise to let one of you go. Of course, I'd have a great time with her. I'd even let my men play with her first before I killed her. Slowly and painfully. What do you say? If I get this Gibbs on the phone, do you want to ask him to send Sarah?"

McGee's emotions were no longer conflicted. At the mention of his sister his rage grew out of control. He rushed at Mehi and managed to knock the man back against the wall. Tony watched in shock, and then with the slightest bit of hope, as it seemed for a moment McGee might overpower the other man. But that was when the two hired henchmen entered the stall. One of them walked over to where Tony was still gallantly trying to gain his feet, and placed the shotgun on his forehead, effectively stopping him from continuing to struggle. The other grabbed McGee and spun him around. When he saw the gun in his partner's face, McGee stopped.

Mehi laughed, a sound that was eerie and unnatural. "I'll take that as a no, then." He turned and left the stall, motioning for the men to take McGee. Turning at the door, after McGee had been taken out, he smiled one more time at Tony. "Don't worry, DiNozzo. I'll be back for you eventually."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**NCIS Headquarters: **The next several hours were spent in running down every single piece of information on James Mehi the team could get their hands on. Mallory proved invaluable. He called his mother, and though she didn't particularly want to get involved, he badgered her until she finally agreed to search for anything she might have that would give some indication of where Mehi might be holding the two agents.

Just as they were going over a list of properties that he might have any possible interest in, Gibbs' phone rang. He didn't recognize the number and he snapped his fingers to get Ziva's attention.

As soon as she had a tracer set up he answered it, putting it on speaker. "Gibbs. Who is this?"

A voice came on. "Why Gibbs. I'm either your worst nightmare, or your best friend. It depends on your perspective, I suppose."

"Where are you? I want to talk to DiNozzo or McGee. Now!" Gibbs voice was hard as steel.

"Well," the man's drawn out answer grated on Gibbs' nerves. "That might not be too feasible. One of them ain't feeling too good. And one of them isn't feeling anything at all."

There was silence for a moment, and Ziva had to make herself concentrate on what she was doing, not on what the man's statement might indicate.

"What do you want?" Gibbs asked; his voice dangerously soft.

"Well," again Mehi drew the word out. "I want my son back. But since that isn't going to happen, I'll take something else. I'm willing to exchange one of your agents for who I want. Of course, I can't promise what condition they might be in. Any chance you're interested?"

"Keep talking," Gibbs said, glancing at Ziva to see if the trace was complete. She held up three fingers and shook her head. Gibbs knew he had to keep him on the line a little longer. "Who do you want?"

"I tell you what, Gibbs." Mehi's voice had lost its drawl and was now almost as hard as Gibbs' had been. "I'll trade you one dying man for a living woman. I want Sarah McGee."

Gibbs closed his eyes. He didn't know if he wanted to know which agent was dying and which one might already be dead.

"That might be arranged," Gibbs said, eyeing Ziva with a raised eyebrow, obviously asking her a question. She looked up and nodded without hesitation, indicating her willingness to be involved in whatever Gibbs was planning. "How would we make the exchange?"

Mehi was silent for a few seconds. "I'll call again in an hour. As soon I complete a little unfinished business." The next thing they heard, before the line went dead, was a gunshot.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and McGee: **Tony was disgusted with himself. He had finally managed to get to his feet, about three minutes after Tim had been herded out at gunpoint. He could barely take a step without his leg threatening to buckle beneath him. And even if he made it to the door, he knew he couldn't get it open. He didn't think he'd ever felt so helpless.

At least, he knew McGee was strong. He'd taken the first beating and survived; not just survived, but had been taking care of DiNozzo's sorry butt ever since. Tony didn't know if he'd ever been more proud of his probie. He hated that Tim was being tested this way, but when it was all over, he would find a way to let the younger man know how he felt. He knew he certainly craved Gibbs' approval, so he guessed it was time he let his protégée know that he was proud of him too.

All these thoughts went through Tony's mind as he waited for the sounds of a beating or some other form of torment to start. He slid back down to the floor, resting his head against the wall that was shared with the stall next door, and he waited. He heard murmured voices coming from the next room, and in fact, he was pretty sure he even heard McGee's angry voice once. He heard the sound of a fist hitting someone, and figured it had begun.

Then he heard McGee scream. This was different than the cries he'd heard before. This sounded like McGee's world had just ended. And he heard Mehi's maniacal laughter. And then he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. He heard a gunshot, followed by total silence.

Tony couldn't breathe. He didn't know if was because of his lungs and injuries, or because of this sudden and overwhelming sense of fear and loss. He just knew that somehow, he had to know; had to get to Tim. With no memory of getting there or how he had accomplished it, he found himself on his feet, over at the door, pounding weakly on it with his left hand. Ignoring the pain the movement caused, he used his right hand to try and force the lock open. Though he wanted to scream and shout, his voice was a mere whisper. "No, no, no. Tim. Please, no…."

So when the door was suddenly opened from the other side, he took two stumbling steps back and stood, weaving, trying not to fall, dreading what he would see.

Mehi stood in front of him. He held what was left of Tim's shirt in his hand, and he laughed. He thrust the shirt in front of Tony's face, and laughed some more when the wounded man sunk slowly to his knees, not able to accept what his eyes were telling him.

"God, no. Please, not Tim. No, no, what will I tell Sarah." DiNozzo's head fell to his chest and he felt the world shrinking around him.

"Funny you should ask that, Tony." Mehi's voice was deceptively soft and almost reassuring. "Your partner just asked me the same kind of question when I told him Gibbs is bringing her here to trade for you."

The darkness was coming for him. He wanted nothing more than to fall into its warm embrace, but Mehi's words stopped his descent into that particular hell.

Tony's voice was nothing but a whisper. "No, no. Gibbs wouldn't do that. He wouldn't; you're lying."

The man who had so far brought so much physical torment to Very Special NCIS Agent Anthony DiNozzo now relished his opportunity to add such mental and emotional anguish to it.

"Well, now, for once I'm not lying, Tony. Gibbs said something about you being worth it; that he was willing to do anything to get his son back." He yanked Tony's head up by the hair, and shoved the shirt in his face.

"Of course, I have to wonder. What kind of son would let his partner's sister, his DEAD partner's sister, be traded for him? You're a sorry piece of shit, DiNozzo. I wouldn't trade my dog for you." He threw the shirt down in front of Tony and turned on his heel, leaving him alone with his fear, regret and shame.

Tony could not stop the tears from forming as he gathered McGee's shirt up. He brought it to his face, stopping when he saw it was wet with blood. Rocking back, he collapsed to the floor, and as the darkness returned for him, the only sound he heard was that of his own quiet weeping. This time, he didn't know if he would ever escape that darkness.

But that was okay, because he never wanted to ever see the light of day again. He couldn't face this; he couldn't face Gibbs, knowing he wasn't worthy of the man's faith in him. He couldn't face Ziva, and feel her scorn for him, that he hadn't been able to keep his partner safe. He didn't want to look Ducky in the eye and see his pity, nor hear Jimmy trying to make everything somehow be all right. He didn't want to know what the director would think of him now, and he couldn't bear to look at Sarah and see her grief.

But mostly, he knew he could never face Abby Scuito. Abby, who was like a sister to him. Abby who loved McGee. Abby who would forgive him, he knew. But he would never forgive himself.

His last thought just before he fell into the black abyss, as he brought Tim's shirt up and held it close to his chest was of Abby and Tim. _"I should have done more. I'm the senior agent. It's my job to keep people safe. Gibbs would have figured a way. I should have….I'm so sorry, Tim." _

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N: **_Okay, I am a little sorry for the very evil cliffy. And, I'm going to be out of town several days next week, so I may not be able to update until after Memorial Day. That is why I've tried to post chapters more frequently this week, to make up for it. Please don't hate me, and I promise to post as soon as possible. I have the rest of the story outlined, and if I can, I'll post at least a short chapter on Monday before I leave. It just depends on my work schedule this weekend. Thanks for reading. caro june. _


	13. Introducing Ziva McGee

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.**

**5/30/12 – Repost – I just re-read this today and discovered several errors. I hate errors, so I'm reposting. **

**A/N: _Shout out and many, many thanks for all the reviews. A special "Boy Howdy" and some freshly baked virtual chocolate chip cookies go to moira4eku for being my 100__th__ reviewer. I was so excited for my first 100 review story. Thanks!_**

_**And a virtual latte of her choice to Ibinkeybella for making me laugh out loud with her comment in her review about breaking all the coffee pots so Gibbs will stay "bare." You all rock my world.**_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Thirteen**

"**Introducing Ziva McGee"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**NCIS Headquarters:** Gibbs was totally silent for a moment following the sound of the gunshot. Mehi had hung up as soon as the reverberations of the shot had ended. The last thing both Gibbs and Ziva David had heard was his laughter in the background.

Ziva's eyes were huge as she looked at Gibbs. "He did not just? I mean; tell me Gibbs—that was not Tony or Tim he shot, was it?"

Gibbs shook his head and seemed to get his bearings. "Doesn't matter David. Let's get down to Abby's lab. We have a job to do and we have to be ready in an hour."

Gibbs would not let himself dwell on what they had heard. Just because he'd heard a shot did not mean one of his agents was dead. He had dealt with this kind of person before and knew they got off on the anguish they inflicted, whether it was physical, mental or emotional. Usually they liked it best when it was all three. He was not ready to face the possibility either of his agents was gone. He simply would not allow that.

"Ziva, I don't think we need to share this latest with Abby. I'll analyze the tape of our conversation; Mallory or Jenkins can help me if needed." Jenkins was on permanent loan from Balboa's team and he had a great deal of experience with computers. In fact, Tony often called him a "McMini-McGee" whenever the two teams had to work together.

Gibbs was already at the elevator and motioned for her to hurry up. Ziva shook off her shock and once again became the very efficient agent she was. "So, Gibbs, I am guessing that I am going to become Sarah McGee, yes?"

Gibbs managed a slight grin as the doors shut and he punched the button for the basement. "Yup. Good thing the two of you are close in size. I doubt this Mehi has ever seen her, so I think you'll do just fine."

The next hour and 10 minutes was spent turning Ziva into Sarah. Abby was only told that Mehi had called and wanted to exchange Sarah for an agent. Sarah herself was brought in and added several helpful ideas. Ziva's biggest challenge was her hair. She hated to cut it, and really did not like the idea of dying it to match Sarah's dark auburn color, but agreed. Inside her head, she told herself that it was for her partners and would be worth it. Fortunately, her hair was only about 4 inches longer than Sarah's. Abby enjoyed playing hairdresser and managed to work magic. When she was finished, and Ziva stepped out of her "salon," the results were really quite astounding.

Sarah McGee was about 2 inches taller than Ziva, so she wore shoes with lifts in the heels. Her clothing was quite different than the college student, but Sarah gave advice and they managed to come up with clothes that were similar to what Sarah wore, and that had the added advantage of a hidden seam in the cargo pants where Ziva was able to conceal a small, but deadly knife. By adding a pair of glasses which also had a hidden transmitter in them, allowing NCIS to see whatever Ziva was looking at, she suddenly looked the part of McGee's sister. Not satisfied with the one transmitter, however, Abby worked some more and to Ziva's astonishment ordered her to strip. But before the startled agent could protest too much, Abby held up a very special bra, with a very small tracking device inserted carefully in one of the straps. "That way, even if you break your glasses, or the creep takes them away, we'll at least be able to find you, Ziva." Abby suddenly drew the smaller woman into a fierce hug. "I'm not losing someone else!"

Meanwhile, Gibbs and Jenkins had been working on analyzing the tape of the phone conversation. Gibbs had hoped to identify something in the background that would give them a clue as to where his missing agents were being held, but there was only silence in the background. Silence and the sound of Tim's voice as he cried "No!" just before the gunshot rang out. So at least now Gibbs knew which agent may have been killed. He also decided to keep that information to himself; though he knew he would have to share it with Ziva. He prayed he would never have to share it with Sarah or Abby.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo:** Tony had hoped he would never have to wake up and face the truth—that Tim, his partner and friend, was dead. Though Tony knew they all faced death every day, and logically, somewhere deep inside himself, he understood he was no more responsible for this than he had been for Kate's death; it didn't feel like that. When Kate had died, they had been together on that rooftop and any one of them could have taken that bullet. But in this case, he and Tim had been alone and somehow Tony felt he should have been able to protect his probie. Now he wouldn't ever have the chance to tell him how proud he was to have the younger man as his partner, and how much he admired him. He regretted that most of all.

If Tony hadn't been so sick and if his fever hadn't reached a new high, he would have been able to think more clearly and realize that as cruel as Mehi was, he was just as likely to try and make him think McGee was dead, just for the added suffering it brought. But his fever had continued to climb while he was unconscious and he was unable to form his thoughts as coherently as he usually did. His own coughing had brought him awake and now he was in the corner of the stall, having pushed himself up to a sitting position. He kept Tim's bloodied shirt next to him; not knowing if it was somehow bringing him comfort, or if he just felt the need to look at it and remember how he'd let his partner down.

An hour or so after he had wakened, he heard the door being unlocked again. He barely raised his head, being too sick and too sick at heart to care what was going to happen next. But when he heard Mehi's voice, he managed to compose himself and raise weary eyes to look his persecutor in the face.

"Just thought you would want to know. Gibbs is sending Sarah to me now. I'll let her spend a little time with you before I kill her, so you can explain to her how her brother got killed in your place. Gibbs might think he's getting you in exchange, but it's not going to happen." Mehi came over, followed by one of the men who worked for him. "On your feet, DiNozzo. We're moving you. Sarah will join you later."

Tony continued to stare balefully up at the man, but made no effort whatsoever to try and rise. He knew he didn't have the strength and he had no intention of making anything easier for the murderer.

However, Mehi wasn't deterred. Both he and the other man reached down, grabbing one of Tony's arms. When they yanked him to his feet, Tony thought he'd pass out from the pain, but unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect. He felt his senses sharpening and though he tried to keep his lips tightly sealed, he could not stop the grunt that escaped his lips.

After that things were a bit of a blur for the wounded and sick agent. He remembered being hauled out to the van and thrown in the back. He must have passed out, because when he came to, he was being dragged into another building. This one seemed to be some kind of a deserted ammo bunker or some other type of concrete building. He wondered briefly why he was being moved, but didn't have much time to reflect on it before he was dumped on a hard, cold floor and heard a door being closed and locked. Wishing this would all just be over, as another round of coughing rocked him with knife-like pain and brought up more blood, he huddled in a corner, trying to prop himself up. He could not remember ever being more miserable in his life. And he missed Tim; gods how he missed his partner and friend.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**NCIS Headquarters/Abby's lab**: Gibbs returned to Abby's domain, and even he did a double take as he saw Sarah McGee standing in front of him. And next to her, was what looked like her twin sister. However, it was impossible for anyone who knew her to mistake Ziva David for anyone but Ziva David. Her attitude was unmistakable.

"Abs," Gibbs turned toward the excited forensic scientist who was beaming at him. "You did great. I almost can't tell them apart." Turning toward his agent, he motioned with his head for her to follow him. "With me, David." But before he got two steps, he heard Abby's angry voice behind him. "And where, exactly, do you think you are taking my creation, Agent Gibbs?" she demanded. "If you think I'm letting you leave without me this time, think again!" Abby's voice was strong but he could hear a hint of tears in it.

Turning toward the young woman who could be his daughter, he held his arms out, and she rushed into them, all anger now gone. He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I promise you, you'll be there, waiting. I need you in the surveillance van, to get everything set up. But for this exchange, it has to be just Ziva and me. Trust me, Abs."

As if on cue, his cell phone rang, and he gently released her. "Gibbs," his voice barked into the phone. "Where do I meet you?"

Mehi's voice sounded almost amused. "Anxious, aren't you Gibbs. Seems a bit odd to me, that you're willing to trade a lovely young woman like Sarah McGee for the likes of him." Gibbs heard what sounded like a scuffle, followed by a grunt of pain. He closed his eyes; he would recognize Tony's voice anywhere. Glad he had not put the phone on speaker, he refused to rise to the obvious bait.

"Do you want to do this thing or not? I can still change my mind if you don't really want her." He let the coldness of his anger seep through. It must have gotten Mehi's attention, for the man was suddenly all business.

"Don't bother trying to trace this call. I throw these cell phones away as soon as I'm finished with them. You and Miss McGee, only, meet me in exactly two hours and 10 minutes at the coordinates I'm sending to your email account. I will search the car and if anyone else is with you, or I see any other vehicle anywhere in the distance, I'll simply kill your agent on the spot. Do you understand?"

"Got it," Gibbs voice was equally business like voice. He hung up as he heard Mehi's laughter, followed by the simple words, "Don't be late."

"Abby, log onto my email account. He's sending coordinates. I need the fastest route there. I have a feeling he won't have left any room to spare."

Mallory had come into the lab, and exchanged a look with Gibbs. At Gibbs' nod, he turned on his heel, calling back as he jogged toward the elevator, "I'll have your car brought out front." He and Gibbs had already discussed the likelihood of how the exchange would go down. Mallory had been working with Balboa and they had installed a tracker inside the headrest of the passenger seat, in case Mehi decided to destroy the GPS system.

Abby quickly logged onto Gibbs' email and they all stood watching it anxiously for close to 10 minutes before a new message popped up. Vance, alerted by Mallory, had come down to the lab and he and Gibbs were quietly conferring as they waited, planning for how close the van with the surveillance equipment could safely get. Ziva found herself once more in the role of comforter to Sarah McGee, hoping the young woman would not ask her what she thought her brother's chances were. But Sarah seemed to have a sixth sense about all of it, and asked nothing. Or maybe, she simply was not ready to hear an answer to her unspoken question.

As soon as humanly possible, Abby accessed the email, printed it out and simultaneously sent directions to both Ziva and Gibbs' phones, as well as the GPS in the car. She turned and looked Gibbs' in the eye, handing him the printed instructions. "You promise me? You'll bring my boys home?"

Gibbs took the paper, handing it off to Ziva. He hugged Abby once more; then gently pushed her toward Sarah. "I promise, Abs. Now, get everything ready, make sure someone takes care of Sarah until we get back, ok?" He lifted her chin and she could not miss the determination in his eyes. With a wave at Vance and another nod, he followed Ziva, and they hurried to the car. Gibbs got into the driver's seat without a word to her; he knew what he was asking of her. And he knew she'd give her life to get her partners back. She was that kind of agent; and she also still felt she owed Tony and Tim something more for coming after her in Somalia.

Mallory stood and watched as the car tore out of the parking lot; wishing he was going with them. But he held fast to the promise Gibbs had given him earlier. "You'll be there when we bring him down. I'm counting on you Bryce. I need to know you can do this." Bryce had not hesitated; even knowing what Gibbs was asking of him. "I won't let you down, boss. If I have to kill the bastard with my own two hands." Then he hurried to join the team that was already getting into the surveillance van, planning to follow as closely as they dared.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo:** Tony had been surprised when Mehi had returned not long after he'd closed the door. He'd been even more surprised when he saw that the man had a cell phone out. Mehi's two henchmen had gotten him to his feet, and helped him outside. Apparently, the cell coverage wasn't too great inside the bunker. Tony made himself stay silent as he listened to the one sided conversation. He knew without even thinking about it that Gibbs was on the other line. And suddenly, he also knew with a fresh clarity that Gibbs would not endanger Sarah McGee. He couldn't quite make his brain understand exactly what was going to happen, but he trusted Gibbs. As he concentrated, listening, trying to hear his mentor's voice, he heard what he needed to hear. Confidence. Defiance. He continued to listen and trust as he was forced to his knees and as a kick was administered to his already abused ribs. He couldn't stop his grunt of pain, but he figured at least Gibbs would know one of them was still alive. Though he still believed Tim was dead, he knew now that he had to do everything he could to live. Tim would be angry if he thought he was just going give up. And Tony knew that if it was the last thing he did, he'd avenge Tim's death.

As soon as Mehi finished the conversation and snapped the phone shut, Tony was taken back to the locked room. But he had a purpose now. Mehi would pay; one way or another, he would pay for what he'd done.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Gibbs and David:** Gibbs said very little to Ziva on the drive. He knew the agent already understood what she had to do, and he knew she was aware she would have as much back up as he could provide. As much as Gibbs trusted anyone, he trusted Ziva. She had proven herself, first when she had killed Ari, and then finally, when she had defied her own father and officially joined his team. And he suspected her relationship with DiNozzo, was at the least, complicated. He doubted if either of them completely understood it, but he knew they would each die for the other.

Gibbs drove like the demons from hell were pursuing him. Perhaps in a way, they were. They arrived at the appointed meeting place a good five minutes early. Both got out of the car, leaving their doors open. Ziva popped the trunk and sauntered a few yards away. She had her head down, trying to get into character. Inside she was seething and wanted to take someone apart, piece by piece. But she knew she had to appear docile and frightened. A few deep breaths and she managed to convert the shaking her anger was causing her into what would look like fear. Nodding once at Gibbs when he lifted a questioning brow in her direction, she knew she was ready.

Gibbs deliberately drew his service weapon, leaning nonchalantly against the back of the car. They did not have long to wait. A dark van with no plates and no identifying marks on it approached, and came to a stop about 50 yards away.

For the space of a few heart beats, nothing happened. Then the drivers' door opened and a man got out. "You Gibbs?" he shouted, shading his eyes to look their direction. "I am." Gibbs was calm, and made no move to approach.

"Got something for you. But first, send the woman this way." The man was sullen, insolent. But somehow, Gibbs knew it wasn't Mehi.

Gibbs nodded at Ziva, who began trudging toward the van, glancing back repeatedly, as if reluctant to go. "Go on, Sarah. It's for Tim." Gibbs' voice carried to the man waiting at the van. As Ziva got closer, the henchman held up a hand, then got back into the van. Pulling it forward, he drove the remaining 20 feet until he was beside her.

The cargo doors on the side of the van opened, and a body was rolled out. At the same time, another man jumped out behind him, gun trained on the apparently shaking and frightened young woman in front of him.

Ziva needed no prompting now. "Tim!" she called, making sure her voice carried back to Gibbs. "Tim, no!" She fell to her knees beside him, ostensibly pulling him close to hug him. In reality she was checking to see if he had a pulse. As she pulled his head onto her lap, she was incredibly relieved to see that he was warm and pliable, not stiff and cold. There was an obvious head wound, which had bled freely, but he was very much alive. Before she could do more, she was yanked to her feet and pulled backward into the van.

Screaming and struggling, she fought to go back to her supposed brother. But the doors closed on her and she allowed herself to fall back, and dissolve into helpless sounding sobs as the van sped away.

Gibbs quickly closed the doors and trunk lid, cursing himself that he hadn't realized Mehi would not be the one making the exchange. He got into the car and drove to the man who was lying so still on the ground. As he got to him, jumping out and dropping down to check for himself if his agent was alive, his phone rang. "Nicely done, Jethro." Mehi's voice rang with insanity. "You've just exchanged a dying man for his living sister. And you'll never see her or DiNozzo again. Unless you count the pieces I plan to have delivered."

Gibbs didn't bother to respond, instead snapping the phone shut and checking McGee with practiced ease. He could see he had suffered a severe beating and had been shot. A head wound, one that looked damn serious. McGee might be alive now, but he had no idea how long that would last. Gathering the man up, he carefully placed him in the back seat, then sped away toward help. Calling 911, he ordered an ambulance to meet them and called in life flight as well. As soon as that call was finished, he glanced once more into the back seat, gratified to see that the blood still sluggishly oozed from the graze across the side of Tim's head. "Dead men don't bleed Tim. You just keep on making a mess; that's an order."

His next call was to the team waiting 10 miles away. "Ducky. Got a patient for you. Ambulance should be arriving about the same time I am."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N:_ Okay, this chapter is a little shorter than I had hoped, but I wanted to get something posted tonight. You have all been very patient. Hope to have the next chapter up in a few days. Thanks for reading and reviewing. _**


	14. Welcome To Hell, Agent David

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Fourteen**

"**Welcome To Hell, Agent David"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Gibbs:** If Gibbs had driven like a madman before, it was even worse now. He heard an ambulance in the distance and realized Ducky must have called them before he did. Of course, the doctor would be well aware that one way or another, at least one of the team would need medical care. Glancing back as he pulled up to the group waiting by the surveillance van, he grew more and more worried about McGee. He was just too quiet; he hadn't moved since he'd been found. Gibbs stomped on the brakes, opened the door and rushed around to the back seat, managing to get to his agent before Ducky or even Abby could. "You stay with me now, McGee. That's an order!"

Abby Scuito was not sure she could handle much more. If Tony was like a brother to her, Tim was closer in a different way. Though their relationship had changed over the years, she knew she loved him. And though she wasn't at all sure exactly what that meant, she desperately wanted the opportunity to find out. She watched as Ducky and Palmer hurried over to where McGee was lying, unmoving and too quiet. She waved frantically at the ambulance as it careened into the area, pointing the EMTs toward the car. And she felt Vance come up beside her, heard him utter some kind of comforting words. But she didn't approach the car. She just wasn't sure she wanted to know how badly Timmy was hurt.

Gibbs stepped back and watched as Dr. Mallard examined his wounded agent, and saw as his care was efficiently handled by the ME and then the EMTs. He made eye contact with Ducky and saw him shake his head ever so slightly, but he did it with a slight smile. The two men had been coworkers for so long—no, that wasn't right—he and Ducky were way past being just coworkers. They were friends and could almost read each other's minds. He knew Ducky was letting him know that while Agent McGee was in very bad shape, there was still hope.

As Tim was bundled up and placed in the waiting ambulance, Gibbs came over to him, wishing he would open his eyes. He wanted to tell the young man that he had done great. He wanted to assure him that they would find Tony. And he really wanted to know if Tim could give him any information on DiNozzo. But Tim's eyes remained closed. Gibbs looked at the senior EMT, who had assessed McGee. The question on the team leader's face was easy to read.

"I just don't know yet, sir. He's stable, but he's not in very good shape. I'm not sure if he has any internal injuries and head wounds are tricky at best. We'll get him to the landing area, and fly him to Bethesda. Unless you want him to go to Washington Hospital Center instead?"

Ducky joined in the conversation. "No, Bethesda has the best neurological staff. He should go there." Gibbs nodded. "Go with him Ducky. Call me as soon as you know anything." Ducky's response was immediate. "Of course, Jethro. And you do the same as soon as you have information on Anthony and Ziva."

It was at this point that Abby's composure reasserted itself. "Wait!" She hurried over to McGee's side. Gently placing her hand on his cheek, she leaned over and brushed her lips across his nose, the only part of his face that wasn't bleeding, bruised or bandaged. "You listen to me now Very Special Agent Timothy McGee. We have a lot of computers still to hack, and cases that won't solve themselves. The team needs you. Tony needs you and Gibbs, well, he really needs you. He can't even turn his phone on without your help. So you hurry up and get better. And…I need you, Timmy. We aren't through yet, you and I." Gibbs wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw McGee's eyes move. Though he did not wake up, somehow, he knew that Tim had heard Abby. And that he was responding to her.

"He'll be fine Abs. He wouldn't dare disobey both of us."

As soon as the ambulance left, sirens blaring and lights flashing, Gibbs turned to the waiting team. "Let's get busy people. We have some tracking to do. We need to find Tony and Ziva and we need to do it now."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Ziva David:** Ziva let herself continue to weep softly. Like Gibbs, she was very aware that Mehi was not in the van. She figured either the man was a coward, and did not want to face them outright; or he was simply playing it safe. She hoped they wouldn't be going too far. She was extremely anxious to see Tony. After seeing the condition Tim was in and knowing Tony had already been recovering from the earlier gunshot wound, she feared he could be in even worse shape.

Shifting around until she was sitting up, she tried to look around, knowing the team would be receiving data from the chip in her glasses. But the interior of the van was dark; there were no windows in the back. Still she decided she would try for some information.

Crawling forward, she leaned over the back of the seat. "Excuse me." She had to concentrate, to not only keep her voice sounding timid, but to try very hard to eliminate her Israeli accent. That was the most difficult thing she had faced so far. "Where are you taking me? Where is Agent DiNozzo? And when will you let me go? I want to see my brother." Adding a hitching sob to her voice, she managed to get to her knees, and directed her gaze out the front window. They were driving on a country road, and though there weren't too many landmarks, she hoped Gibbs and the others could find something that was helpful.

The man in the passenger seat turned around. "Shut up lady. And sit down. The boss said if you don't stay on the floor, we tie you up." Ziva quickly sat back down; she did not want to be tied and she hoped the little she had seen would be enough to help. "No, please don't. I'll stay put."

The ride seemed to go on forever, and the roads got increasingly bumpier as the time went on. Finally, after she estimated they had been driving for about two hours, she felt the van slowing. Deciding to risk a look, she quietly got to her knees again. But just as she peered over the seat, the man turned.

"Lady," he threatened. "I ain't got no problem smacking you, woman or not. Now sit down, shut up and don't get up again." Ziva complied; again, she didn't want to be tied up or unconscious. Neither of those options would help Tony at all. "I'm sorry." She said softly.

She had only caught a brief glimpse of the outside before returning to the floor; there were some trees and she had spotted some kind of cement structures in the distance. She hoped that was not their destination, knowing that if it was, the tracking devices Abby had so carefully provided her with might not be of much use.

It was only another few minutes before the van halted. Ziva waited, hunched over and trying to look frightened; not wanting to risk being tied up. The doors were pulled open and she raised her head slowly, pretending to look at the men who were advancing on her. In actuality, she was directing her gaze over their shoulders. Nothing was in sight except for trees. A lot of trees. Mostly Eastern Red Cedars, but she saw several other varieties as well. And hopefully, if nothing else, though she knew the Cedars were plentiful all over the area, Abby or someone would be able to help identify where they were.

Before Ziva could look around much more, she was grabbed roughly by the arms. The taller of the two men towered over her. Ziva wanted nothing more than to kick him in the balls, but she knew that would be out of character. So instead she cowered, whimpering and shaking. As he hauled her out of the van, she started wildly shaking her head, again pretending a fear she did not feel to cover her anger. She caught a glimpse of the cement buildings and her heart sank as she realized that was where they were likely holding Tony. Before she could see much more, her glasses were removed.

"No!" she cried. "I can't see without them, please, I need my glasses." But the man ignored her, and instead put a blindfold on her. "I might give them back once you're inside; if the boss says so." And with that, Ziva was led away. "Please, where are you taking me? Don't let me fall!" She made her voice as loud as she dared, hoping the audio would still pick up. As she felt stairs beneath her feet and smelled the dank and moist odors that got worse as they descended farther down, she knew their chances of being found had just gone from bad to worse. "No, wait, please, I hate the dark. Do not —don't take me down here. Please!" She dug her feet in, trying to slow their descent. This time one of the men slapped her. Though it only made her angrier, she kept quiet, again understanding she would be of no use if she was knocked out.

Finally, they came to a landing. She heard a door being unlocked. Her keen hearing picked up the sound of metal hinges being scraped against cement. She was pushed inside, her blindfold was pulled off, the door began closing, and she heard maniacal laugher from somewhere behind her. As her vision adjusted, she caught sight of Special Agent DiNozzo, lying still and silent in the corner. Turning, trying to see who was laughing, all she saw was the door swinging shut. And then she heard a man's voice.

"Welcome to hell, Agent David."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Surveillance Van:** Gibbs had quickly taken charge. As soon as the ambulance was out of sight, he had climbed in the van and asked Jenkins if he had a line on David.

Jenkins indicated the monitor in front of him. "It's not much; looks like she's still in the van. She's been looking around, but the light is bad. We'd better start following; this thing only has a range of a couple of miles or so."

Gibbs looked to Mallory who was in the driver's seat, and already had the van running. "Go, go. Don't lose her." With that, they headed west. The hardest thing was staying close enough to keep contact, without giving their position away. While Gibbs was sure Mehi must know he would follow, he figured there must be some way the criminal had planned to keep them from being able to locate the two agents.

It was crowded inside their vehicle; Jenkins was in the seat in front of the monitor, the place where normally McGee would be sitting. Abby was perched behind him, watching carefully and making suggestions to clean the picture up. Vance was in the passenger seat, next to Bryce, looking over his shoulder at the action going on behind him. He hadn't said much yet; not wanting to distract Gibbs or the others. Palmer was in the back, and he was clutching his medical bag, well aware that he could end up being Tony's best chance for survival. He just hoped his efforts and knowledge would be enough.

Gibbs was the only one not sitting down. Even in the confines of the van, he somehow managed to convey the image of pacing. His anger and worry had been pent up for too long; he wanted a chance to vent it in the worst way. And he was ready to implore any God who would listen that the target of his wrath would end up being Mehi. Next to finding his agents alive and getting Tony the medical help he needed, he wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard who had done this. He didn't even need to do it slowly. He just wanted him dead. He wanted this over and he wanted his team back.

Jenkins suddenly sat up a little straighter, just as Abby pointed. "There!" Gibbs stopped his internal raging and barked, "What?" The monitor suddenly flashed with light and color. Obviously Ziva was trying to give them some information. The audio feed was scratchy, but Gibbs could hear what was being said. He noticed Ziva's line of sight lingered just a little longer before she complied with the orders and sat back down.

Jenkins immediately began running longitude and latitude information, using the GPS system. Zeroing in, he called out directions to Bryce. Nothing more happened for quite some time, close to 90 minutes. They were traveling west by southwest, and the roads got progressively worse. As they started kicking up dust from the gravel, Gibbs reluctantly gave the order to slow down. He didn't want to get too far behind, but wasn't ready yet to give away their position.

Just as Abby was getting discouraged again, there was another brief flash, as Ziva apparently tried to look out the front window. She was once again made to sit down, but it gave Jenkins one more point of reference. A few short minutes later, Gibbs was forced to call a halt, as the van carrying Agent David slowed to a stop. Knowing they were probably within a two – four mile radius, it was difficult to wait. But finally, light entered the back of the van. They could see what Ziva saw.

The picture was jerky, and they caught a quick glimpse of a large stand of Red Cedars, and maybe some sort of structure. Then all could hear her cries of "No." The picture went black; as it was obvious her glasses were removed. Whether this meant that Mehi was already onto them, or he was just being cautious, Gibbs didn't know.

The audio continued for a few more minutes. They could hear shuffling, and Ziva's soft cries. Knowing she was simply trying to give them more information, Gibbs listened as hard as he could, snapping his fingers at Jenkins, silently begging him to somehow clean up the sound. The audio got worse, but he could just make out her words. Something about not taking her down, and being dark. Then the sound of a slap, and after that, nothing. The audio feed stopped abruptly.

Vance had been holding his breath as everything took place. When no one said anything, he broke the pervading silence. "Tell me you got a fix on her before we lost her."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and David:** Ziva's head snapped around when she heard the words. Realizing there would be little point in denying what the man had somehow figured out, she defiantly tossed her head.

"Thank you, Mr. Mehi. I can see you have resided here for a long time already. If I need anything in hell, I will be sure to ask you." With that she ignored the man who stood behind the door, continuing to laugh hysterically. Instead she hurried over to Tony, praying he was still alive. With a hand that should not have been so shaky, she carefully reached out, almost afraid to touch him. After what had been done to McGee, she was not so sure she wanted to learn her partner's fate. But Ziva was not a coward.

"Get a grip, David," she murmured. As her fingers gently pressed against the carotid artery in Tony's neck, she was rewarded with two things at once. First, she felt the faint, but fast fluttering indicating he still had a heart beat. And second, the sweetest words she'd heard in a long time reached her ears.

"Talking to 'self, Ziva? Tha's . . . bad sign . . . ." Tony's voice was for too weak and ended with a gut wrenching cough that left him listless and panting in short breaths. But it was like music to her ears.

"Easy, DiNozzo, don't try to talk. Here, let me help you." She instinctively knew Tony was in very bad shape. He didn't even pretend to argue, but instead reached his left hand toward her, grasping her arm with surprising strength.

"Gotta' sit up; can't breathe." His words were almost whispered and she could hear the agony in his voice that he wasn't even trying to cover up. Gently, she braced him with her right arm and guided him to a sitting position. "Let me see how bad it is, Tony. Maybe I can help." After he was more or less sitting, she leaned him into the corner. Once she was sure he wouldn't just topple over, she began carefully probing. Tony closed his eyes and tried to stay quiet and stoic. But he had been through so much it was all he could do not to scream as nerve endings roared back to life.

As her hands felt along his arms, she reached his right shoulder. Sucking in his breath as she found the broken collar bone, he squeezed her wrist. "Easy, Ziva. Hurts."

Ziva closed her own eyes for just a second, but continued checking him. "Tony, you have several broken ribs." She laid her head against his chest, listening to his breath sounds. "You may have a punctured lung. And probably pneumonia."

As if to give credence to her words, a deep cough, starting low in his chest, and sounding wet worked its way up. Tony's vision faded as the wracking coughs continued. Finally, he laid his head back, completely spent and exhausted. After catching his breath, he let a sigh escape. "Been takin' doctor lessons?"

Ziva continued her examination, now working her hands along his legs. She hesitated to go anywhere near the wound in his thigh, but knew she needed some idea of what she was dealing with. "Brace yourself, DiNozzo. I need to check this." She carefully pulled at the remains of his sweat pants, the ones he'd been wearing when they had been kidnapped. The material was stuck to the wound, and after trying to ease it away and feeling his body tense and hearing the beginnings of another gut wrenching cough, she pulled her hand away. "Never mind, I can feel the heat from the wound from here. It is obviously infected again."

Tony was trying not to cough, and trying not to give in to the scream of anguish that wanted to escape. He didn't even try to come back with a smart remark. He was just inordinately glad not to be alone, even though it meant Ziva was now in danger as well. Since Tim had died….suddenly he sat up straight, ignoring the pain. Tim! How could he have forgotten?

"Tony, what is it? Is something else hurting? Did I miss something?" In her haste to check her partner, Ziva had forgotten that Tony most likely thought McGee was dead. So when he turned his eyes toward her in the dim light, she was not prepared for the look of torment in them.

"Tim?" he managed to gasp the one word out, before yet another agonizing cough stopped him.

"Oh, gods, Tony, I am so sorry!" Ziva opened her mouth to tell him the news that Tim was still alive. But before she could, all the color drained from his face and he uttered a few heartbreaking words before his consciousness fled. "No! Tim, no, no…"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Surveillance Van: **Gibbs slammed his fist against the side of the van. "Damn it!" Vance knew then that they had lost her. And though they were close, there was a lot of territory to cover and darkness was falling fast.

It was at that moment Gibbs' phone rang. "Jethro!" Ducky's voice sounded positive and upbeat. "I hope you can stand a little good news for a change."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N:** _**Okay, a not so evil cliffy for you. One or maybe two more chapters to go, I think. This story seems to have a mind of its own – just when I think I know where it is going, it takes another left turn. But I THINK I have most of the rest of it outlined. I'll try hard to post another chapter tomorrow. You are all awesome. Thanks so much for the kind reviews. Blessings! Caro**_


	15. You Are Not My Brother,Tony

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.**

**A/N_: As always, thanks for the incredible reviews. I love all the alerts, favorites and the traffic this story is getting. _**

_**One medical note –Tony has pneumonia. I don't know how many of you have experienced that, but I had it once, and I don't ever want it again. And that was without any injuries. The coughing was deep, bone rattling and very, very painful, and it was almost constant. So as Tony goes through this, I tried to make it as realistic as I could. I hope it does not seem too much over the top. **_

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Fifteen**

"**You Are Not My Brother, Tony"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Surveillance Van:** Gibbs put the phone on speaker; since Ducky had said good news, he wanted everyone to hear it. "Go ahead, Duck. You're on speaker."

"Well, young Timothy woke up in the ambulance. He was most disoriented and somewhat combative, but did seem to know who he was, if not exactly what was going on. They still took him in on the helicopter, but I am most encouraged. I will be arriving at Bethesda within a few minutes and will update you soon."

Abby couldn't restrain a cheer, reaching back to high five Jimmy as she shouted "Yes!" Her sentiments were echoed by everyone in the van.

"That's great Ducky. Great news. Tell him to concentrate on getting well. Don't push him. But…." Gibbs voice trailed off. He didn't want to put any added pressure on his agent, especially not knowing if he would even remember recent events. On the other hand, if he had any information regarding DiNozzo's location, they desperately needed it.

"Yes, Jethro. You can be sure I will ask him anything that seems at all appropriate. But he may not remember anything that will help us. Head injuries as severe as his often leave a patient with significant memory loss, especially of recent events. And in his case, that may be a blessing." Ducky sounded sad as he shared the information.

"Yeah, well, he'll feel even worse if he can't remember and something happens to DiNozzo. He'll blame himself." Gibbs knew that feeling all too well.

"Well, then Jethro. You simply have to find Tony. And we won't let Tim blame himself, will we?" Ducky sounded a bit distracted. "I'm here now, Jethro. I must go. Give my best to Anthony and Ziva, will you? And Ms. Scuito, you are not to worry. Everything will work out."

Abby smiled as she heard the phone click off. Trust Ducky to know she needed the extra reassurance.

Gibbs stretched his arms behind his back. With a sigh that was uncharacteristic for him, he resolutely turned back to Jenkins. "Ok. Trace it as far as you can. Then start pulling up anything in the area that could possibly be a hiding place. Anything at all."

With that, everyone settled down to do whatever their assignments were. Jimmy Palmer found himself with little to do, so he settled on fervently praying. He hated to make demands of God, but Tony and Ziva just had to be all right.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**David and DiNozzo:** Ziva settled in behind Tony, propping him up after he collapsed. He seemed to be in a deeper state of unconsciousness than he had been before. She couldn't help but wonder how much of that was brought on by the emotional stress of thinking Agent McGee was dead. She cursed herself for not thinking to reassure him first thing. But she had been so very worried about him.

Her worry did not abate as his coughing continued, even as he remained insensate. She was growing more and more concerned; though her medical training was not official, she had been in enough field situations to know a punctured lung when she heard it. That, coupled with his likely pneumonia and his history of plague, made him a very, very sick man. When she added in his broken bones and the infection in his leg, she had to work very hard not to despair. But she remembered how badly off she had been in Somalia, not at all sure she would survive that ordeal. Not sure she wanted to. Pretty sure she didn't deserve to. But somehow, Tony had found her. Against all odds and fighting the brass at NCIS he had come up with a plan, carried it out with McGee and Gibbs' help and had brought her home.

He had not only brought her home; he'd helped her find her way back to peace. For that, she owed him everything. Even her life if it came to that.

Ziva wished she had a cool cloth to bathe Tony's face with. He was so very hot. And the wracking coughs would not abate. If anything, they seemed to be increasing in frequency. Finally, knowing she had to do something or watch her partner die, she gently eased Tony's head against the wall, again propping him in the corner, got up and began banging on the door. She cursed Mehi first in English, then in Israeli, then in several other languages. When she ran out of different dialects, she started over; again in English and louder than ever. She added her foot to the door, kicking it; hitting it with her fists and screaming obscenities at Mehi, his mother—and finally, with an evil smile of her own—at his son Blake.

That got the results she was waiting for. After calling Blake a no good, worthless piece of trash, deserving of a much more difficult death than he'd received at Tony's hands, and calling him a son of a bitch that took after his whoring mother, at last, she heard sounds on the other side of the door.

Out of breath, she stood back, waiting to see who would be there. To her surprise, before the door opened, she heard Tony's hoarse voice. "Ziv. Easy. You're gonna make him mad." He sounded incredibly weary and hopeless.

Ziva turned and hurried back to him, determined he would hear about Tim before anything else could happen. Dropping down beside him, she laid her hand alongside his face, carefully stroking his cheek. "Tony. Listen to me. Tim is NOT dead. Do you hear me? Mehi lied. Tim is very much alive and on his way to the hospital."

Tony turned unbelieving eyes toward her, eyes that only a moment before had been dead looking; hopeless. Now they suddenly shone with an intensity that had nothing to do with the fever raging behind them. "Alive?" His voice was barely discernible. "But, I heard the shot. Mehi said he killed him. Said I was not worth trading for…" a cough broke into his painful words, mercifully stopping him.

Ziva eased his head forward until it rested on her shoulder. Putting her arms around him, she carefully hugged him, holding him as the cough turned into a hiccupping sob as Tony processed the news. "He is alive, Tony. I saw him myself. Gibbs and Ducky are with him and I guarantee you, they will not let him die."

As the door banged open, Tony got control of himself. Raising his head, he reached up and grasped Ziva's hand with his own. "Thank you. No matter what happens, you just gave me peace." Ziva smiled at him, remembering the peace Tony had managed to share with her. "It is only fair DiNozzo. Now, sit tight. Let us see what the devil wants."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

**Surveillance Van:** Gibbs was growing impatient. And an angry and impatient Gibbs was not good for anyone's wellbeing. Though they had been searching grid by grid, it was as if Ziva had simply dropped off the face of the earth.

Hours went by; Gibbs gave the order to start driving around. He figured by now, Mehi had his agents well enough hidden that he wouldn't be out looking for them. And he knew in his gut that time was running out. Vance and he argued about the best course of action; finally Vance pulled rank and called in the local LEOs from several small nearby towns to aid in their search.

Between information from a local sheriff and several possibilities of abandoned warehouses that Jenkins and Abby had located, they developed a plan to do a systematic search. But Gibbs knew they were missing something; something important. He wished he had some coffee, so he could think more clearly. He wished he could head slap DiNozzo, that always seemed to help him process things. He wished Tim was there to bring his particular reasoning, which, when combined with Abby's off the wall thought processes usually yielded an answer to whatever question Gibbs had.

Finally, as darkness became total, Gibbs knew there wasn't much hope they'd find them tonight. Instructing Bryce to head for the nearest town so they could fill up with gas, get some food and some coffee, and find somewhere to stay for the night, he sat down for the first time since they had left NCIS headquarters.

"_Where are you DiNozzo? Are you and Ziva all right?_" The questions would not stop running in circles in his mind. He laid his head back against the seat and was almost asleep when he felt Abby sit beside him and lay her head on his shoulder. "We'll find them Gibbs. We have to. You promised."

Gibbs just turned and looked out the window, hoping that he wouldn't have to finally break a promise to Abby. He didn't know if he could live with himself if he did. And he knew he didn't want to face life without Tony. Without his son.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**David and DiNozzo:** To Ziva's amazement, it wasn't Mehi who entered. Instead, the two men who worked for him came in. One stood at the door, the shotgun trained directly on Tony.

The other man entered and stood over the two agents, staring down at them for a moment. Shaking his head, he opened the knapsack that was on his shoulder. Pointing at DiNozzo, he said, "Boss doesn't want you dying quite yet. Said to do what you could for him with what's in here." He up-ended the sack; dumping the items onto the filthy floor. "If he dies, he'll take personal pleasure in making your own death even more miserable." The man squatted down, and grasped Ziva by the chin, wrenching her face around. "Said I get to play with you first; then my partner; then he'll finish you off. Nice and slow."

Ziva glared at him, but did not bother to reply. After what had happened to her in Somalia, this man did not scare her at all. She felt Tony tense beside her, and squeezed his hand. Ignoring the man, who got up and was slowly leaving, she shook her head. "Do not pay any attention to him, DiNozzo. He is just a bug and we will squash him when we are ready." Tony tried to smile, ready with a comment of his own, but once again, his coughs stopped him before he could get a word out. Wrapping his left arm around his ribs, he shook with the pain the coughing caused him. When he finally was able to breathe again, Ziva was going through the items from the knapsack. Finding three bottles of water, some cold chicken soup in a pop top can, a bottle labeled "antibiotics," and a few dish towels, she started to work.

Tony could not remember when something tasking as good as the water did when Ziva carefully held the bottle to his lips and let it trickle down his throat. It soothed his cough; at least a little and he felt slightly revived with just a few sips.

Next, Ziva opened the can of soup and cajoled him until he was able to eat a few bites. But when he started gulping and swallowing, she realized he was in danger of vomiting, and the added risk of aspirating something into his already abused lungs was not a risk she wanted to take. Not to mention that it would be incredibly painful for him.

She thought for some time before offering him two of the pills. Tony didn't want to take them, not because he was worried they were poison; after all, Mehi was unlikely to make his death that easy. But the way his stomach felt, he wasn't sure he could keep them down. Finally, though, Ziva managed to crush them and he swallowed them with more water. Not really knowing if they would do any good, Ziva at least felt she had done what she could.

Next, she got one of the towels wet, and sponged at the cloth sticking to the wound in Tony's leg. He gritted his teeth but managed not to cry out as she finally eased the material away. His leg looked terrible. It was definitely infected again, and some of the stitches from his earlier surgery had come loose. Ziva cleaned it as best she could, then, using pieces of her own shirt as bandaging, she folded one of the clean towels over the wound and wrapped his leg. Finally, she used the remaining towel and some of the water to sponge at Tony's hot face, offering him at least a little relief.

As the long night drew on, Ziva urged Tony to try and get some sleep. She sat behind him, pulling his head back against her, so she could continue to wipe at his hot forehead. But sleep eluded him; in spite of the water and eventually a second dose of the antibiotics, his coughing continued. The pain it caused was almost unbearable. Realizing neither of them was going to get much, if any rest, Tony asked her to talk to him.

"About what, Tony?" she asked, trying to keep the weariness out of her own voice.

"Anything. Tell me about Somalia. How you survived. What you felt. If you knew I was coming for you."

Ziva paused, gathering her thoughts. "It was terrible. I was in physical pain, yes, but mostly I was so hurt and angry. Hurt, because I knew I had let the team down. Let my father down. Let you down, Tony. And angry. I was furious at first that you had killed Michael; even though eventually I would come to understand that you had no other option."

There was a long silence, and for a while, Ziva thought maybe the other agent had managed to sleep. But his restlessness and coughing soon convinced her otherwise. "What about you, DiNozzo? You thought I was dead. What made you come and look for me?"

"Not sure. I guess I knew you were supposed to be dead." Tony was so weary, and talking made him cough more. But he felt this was important for Ziva to hear. "But you didn't feel dead to me. It felt—unfinished. And I wasn't sure I wanted to go one without knowing. If you were dead, I wanted someone to pay. So I convinced Gibbs that I had a plan."

"And the plan? You and Tim had it all figured out?"

Tony started to laugh, a few chuckles escaping before the inevitable coughing took over. His voice was a mere whisper when he continued.

"I said I convinced him I had a plan. When he gave me the green light, then I had to come up with one."

Ziva shook her head; smiling in the darkness. "Well, it was a good plan, Tony."

Tony sighed. "Better than the one you and Gibbs cooked up to come and get me outta' here? 'Cuz so far, I'm not real impressed, you know." He shifted slightly, turning so he could try and see her. His voice, already barely a whisper, was so soft she could hardly hear his next words. "I don't want you getting hurt. I couldn't lose you again."

Ziva pulled him into a little tighter embrace. "You will not lose me, Tony. Gibbs will find us. And you do not think me foolish enough to come here unarmed, do you?"

Tony finally found himself beginning to relax enough that he was having a hard time staying awake. "You have a gun somewhere in there, Ziva?" His eyes closed and he let his head rest against her.

"Not a gun." She shifted around. "A knife. And I want you to keep it. Do not protest, DiNozzo." She said this as he opened his mouth to do just that. "Mehi will undoubtedly search me quite thoroughly. He is not as likely to do so with you, especially if you can remain 'unconscious' next time he comes in." Ziva had managed to withdraw the knife from its hidden pocket and slipped it carefully between the layers of bandages she had applied to his leg.

After that, the night passed quietly. Whenever Tony was awake, they talked. About their fathers and their childhoods. About the team, about how well Tim had done during this crisis. About Abby and how her faith in them would not let anyone give up. About Ducky and his mentoring of Palmer; about Palmer's upcoming wedding and how happy they were for him. And about how Gibbs had somehow become a father to both of them.

Tony took another sip of the water, aware it was almost gone. His cough seemed calm for the moment and as he gave into a huge yawn, and felt his eyes closing of their own volition, he made one more quip.

"If Gibbs is our Dad, I guess that makes you my sister, Ziva." And finally, he let go, and slipped into a light daze, then into a deeper unconsciousness than he'd been in since before he'd heard Tim was still alive.

Ziva held him a little tighter, contemplating their ever changing relationship and Tony's last statement. As her eyes also closed in exhaustion, she rested her head against the wall. The thought running through her mind as sleep claimed her was, "_I'm not sure I want you for a brother, Tony._"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N: _Okay, that is it for this chapter. One more to go, and I promise you, rescue is coming soon. Hope to have the final chappie up sometime this weekend. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Blessings to you all. Caro_**


	16. Death Warmed Under

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.**

**A/N:_ Well, I thought this would be the last chapter, but as Sparkiebunny predicted, there was just too much to wrap up in one shot. So, one more after this one. I hope you enjoy! _**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Sixteen**

"**Death Warmed Under"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Motel in Jimtown, MD:** Gibbs woke up at 0430. He had only been able to sleep for a few hours. Getting fuel, finding a place for them all to eat and getting settled in a small motel that had been happy to accommodate them had taken more time that he liked. He hadn't even tried to lie down until almost midnight. And sleep had not come easily. Knowing he was not likely to get any more rest, Gibbs did what he did best this early in the morning. He went in search of coffee.

As he was sitting in the town's one and only coffee shop, he thought back to Ducky's last phone call. Agent McGee had remained conscious, and was surprisingly cognizant of what had happened. The bullet had made a deep graze across the right side of his head, and the doctors had been worried he might have a skull fracture and a possible brain bleed. But CT scans had ruled out any fracture and so far there wasn't much evidence of any brain swelling or bleeding. He had been damn lucky. As soon as his initial confusion had cleared, Tim had passed on what he remembered to Gibbs over the phone.

_McGee's voice had sounded thin and he was obviously exhausted and in a lot of pain. But he had been refusing most pain meds, wanting to stay as alert as possible. He remembered things all too well and would do anything to help his partner and best friend._

"_Tony didn't look good at all. I think he already had or was getting pneumonia. And the beating he took was much worse than the one Mehi gave me. He was feverish and coughing—a lot. He was hurting real bad." McGee grew silent for a moment._

_Gibbs knew the younger agent had been through hell and back and hated to have to push him. But he needed to know everything Tim could remember; and if he knew anything that might help them locate DiNozzo, he had to forge ahead. "Tim. Do you remember anything about where you were being held? How long did it take to get there from your apartment? What was the area like?" _

_McGee's long drawn out sigh told Gibbs what he didn't want to hear. "I, ah, I was unconscious a lot of the time before we got to the barn or whatever it was we were held in. Tony thought we'd been on the road a couple of hours or longer. It was dark when we got there, I couldn't really see much. I'm sorry, boss." He didn't even think about the rule he was breaking as he replied. _

"_It's ok, Tim. What's the last thing you remember before waking up?" Gibbs rubbed his eyes, wishing this nightmare would end. _

_Ducky's voice came on the phone. "Jethro, I do not like this. Timothy is already stressed and his heart rate is increasing. He needs rest and quiet, not interrogation. I know, I know. We need to find them. But not at. . . ." Before he could finish, McGee's voice came back on._

"_No. I can do this. I want to do this. I don't care about my head right now Ducky." _

_Gibbs could hear Ducky sigh in the background and could picture his frustration. "Very well, Timothy. But only for a few more minutes, then I insist you take something for the pain and get some rest."_

_Tim's reply was immediate. "Sure Duck. Whatever. Listen, Gibbs, Mehi came for us and said time was up. Said he was going to kill one of us. Tony tried to get to his feet, but he couldn't. He's gonna be really pissed at me, because I wouldn't help him." McGee paused for a moment, hoping Tony was still alive to be angry at him. _

"_Mehi took me into the next stall, and, ah, it's kind of blurry after that. I think I remember Mehi hitting me. Then he called someone on the phone. You Gibbs? I think he called you. I don't really remember much after that, except, I was so angry. He was talking about Sarah and I wanted to kill him. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital." Tim's memory of the ambulance and helicopter ride was gone completely. "I wish I could remember more, boss. If something happens to Tony or Ziva, I don't think I could live with it."_

"_You did great McGee. You kept Tony alive. That's all I needed to know. Now, do like Ducky says and get some rest. I'll let you know when we find them."_

Now, hours later, Gibbs was running out of ideas. All he knew to do was keep searching, bit by bit. He looked at the clock on the wall, almost 0530. Time the team was up and to work. It was almost dawn and he intended to be on the road at first light.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and David:** Agent Ziva David stirred, disoriented for just a moment. Why was she on the hard ground and why was DiNozzo's head leaning on her shoulder? But as quickly as that thought raced through her mind, her memory returned. Wondering what had awakened her, since for once Tony's cough was quiet, she listened. The only sound she could hear was his labored breathing.

That was it. His breathing sounded worse. Ziva knew they had to get Tony to treatment and soon. It was obvious his lungs were in very bad shape. She knew that if the puncture got larger, which it could easily do if he continued with the violent coughing, he would not have long to be treated before it became fatal.

"Gibbs," she thought as she eased Tony into more of an upright position from where he had slid down while they were both asleep. "You need to find us soon."

Tony stirred and started muttering. She wondered if he was delirious. His fever was so high, she knew that was possible. "Ziv? Where's Tim? Wha's goin' on?" If she didn't know better, she would think he was drunk by the way his words were slurred. She wished that was the problem.

"DiNozzo." Ziva deliberately let her voice take on a sharp tone. "I need you to wake up. You have to sit up and take in some more oxygen. Come on. You can do this." She helped him get into a more upright position, and gently rubbed her hand in circles on his back. She didn't know which was worse, his confusion or the look of pain that shot across his face before he was completely awake. Though his breathing eased a bit as he sat up, his coughing resumed. The moan that accompanied the attack tore at her, making her wish she could take his pain on herself. While Tony would complain incessantly over something like a paper cut, she knew that when he was truly hurt, he tended to gloss it over. Something everyone on Team Gibbs seemed guilty of. So to hear him not even try and restrain his groans, and see him clutch at his rib cage as the coughs shook his frame, broke her heart.

"I am sorry it hurts you so much, Tony. Gibbs will simply have to get here today. I do not think I can stand to see you like this much longer." To her surprise, Tony looked up as his coughing finally eased. He managed a slight grin, the corner of his mouth lifting in a grim reminder of his usual teasing. "Uh uh, Probie. Never apologize, 'member? Sign 'a weakness." He paused, taking a shallow breath. "'Sides, not your fault."

The next few hours passed slowly for the two agents. Ziva reluctantly gave him the last of the water, and watched helplessly as his coughing increased when it was gone. She was debating her plan to leave the knife with DiNozzo, unsure if he would have the strength to defend himself. But just as she had almost decided to take it back, the decision was suddenly taken from her.

The door was unlocked and it slammed open. Mehi stood silhouetted in the dim light. "Time's up, Agent David. It's time for you to watch DiNozzo die. Then I'll kill you and deliver the pieces that are left to your boss. Oh, and I want you to know, I decided not to kill McGee on purpose. I want him to know that he's the reason for your deaths. I wish I could have gotten my hands on his sister, but I knew Gibbs would never send her."

Ziva stood slowly, placing herself between DiNozzo and the madman threatening them. Tony slumped over and didn't move. She didn't know if he was feigning unconsciousness, or if he was really out. She just knew she would do everything in her power to protect him. Mehi didn't know it, but Ziva was an extremely formidable opponent. "Well, then, Mr. Mehi; you should have done better research. If you think I am just going to let you kill my partner, you do not know me."

Mehi leaned nonchalantly against the door frame. "Oh, I know all about you my dear. I made it my business to investigate everyone on Gibbs' team." He snapped his fingers and the two men who worked for him entered. "Search her."

While Ziva was thoroughly patted down, Mehi sauntered over to stand over Tony. Kicking at the man sprawled on the floor, he appeared angry that DiNozzo did not respond. Other than a few coughs that didn't seem to rouse him, Tony did not move.

"She's clean boss. Nothing on her." Mehi stared down at Tony for a moment more, contemplating. Then he turned and spoke again. "Fine. Get out. I'll be up in a minute." The two men left, and to Ziva's surprise, Mehi followed them. At the door, he paused, reached around and grabbed a shotgun that had been left there by one of the other men. Smiling, with nothing but pure insanity showing through, he nodded at Ziva. "Don't go anywhere, my dear. I'll be right back." He locked the door, and Ziva heard his steps as he ascended the stairway.

She had just turned back toward Tony, when she heard two very loud gunshots. She couldn't help herself. She jumped and exclaimed, "What the hell was that?"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Surveillance Van:** Gibbs had gotten back to the motel and found everyone up and ready to go. Grabbing a quick bite on their way out of town, they were ready to begin the search pattern again.

After only an hour or so, Gibbs suddenly grabbed Jenkins by the shoulder. "Doug. I think I know where to look." At Vance's questioning glance, Gibbs ran his hand through his hair. "Something's been bothering me. The last thing Ziva saw was trees and some sort of structure. We heard her say she didn't want to fall; that it was dark and she didn't want to go down somewhere. What does that sound like to you, Leon?"

Vance thought for a moment. "A bunker? Maybe an old storage facility? Somewhere underground, maybe a cement building? Or a metal one?"

Bryce shot a look back. "And that would explain why she stopped transmitting. Cement and certain kinds of metal would block the signal."

Abby was already up and staring at the computer screen in front of Jenkins. "I wish Timmy was here," she said quietly. "He could always find things like that, even faster than I can."

As the phone rang, Gibbs couldn't help but think it was uncanny as he glanced at the identification of the caller before answering. "Well, Abs, he might not be here, but he must be reading your mind. That's him on the phone"

He pressed the on button, and put it on speaker. "Gibbs. What do you have Agent McGee?"

"Boss, I've been thinking. Ducky filled me in this morning on everything that's been happening; said Ziva had gone in Sarah's place." He paused briefly. "Thanks for that, I should have known you'd never put Sarah in any kind of danger."

His voice a little more confident now, he went on. "Said something about transmitters and you losing track of Ziva. Mehi must have changed locations. Tony and I were in an old barn, and it was out in the open. If I know Abby, she put a strong enough tracking chip on Ziva that it should easily be picked up. So they must be in some sort of shielded building."

Gibbs couldn't stop the grin from forming. He knew he had the best team in the business. Nothing could keep them down for long.

"That's good, Tim. We just figured the same thing out."

They all heard Ducky as he obviously came into the room. "Agent McGee! What are you doing on your phone again? I specifically left instructions with the nursing staff that you were not to have access to it. Give me that."

"Atta boy, Tim." Gibbs' grin grew wider, and he nodded at Abby as she raised her eyebrows and exclaimed, "That's my Timmy!"

"Jethro, you need to let this boy get some rest. Though he is improving, he certainly is not out of danger and all this excitement is most definitely not good for him." The concern was evident in Ducky's voice.

"I know Duck. But he's onto something. Just let me talk to him for a minute. We need his help." When there was only silence, Gibbs tried again. "Duck. Tony's out of time. I can feel it in my gut. We have to find them and now."

McGee's voice came back on. "I knew learning how to sweet talk the nurses like Tony always does would pay off. Boss, have them narrow the search. Look for old storage facilities; something like a weapons cache, or an ammo dump. If you narrow the search to five square miles from where you last picked up Ziva's signal, you should be able to find something."

"Good job, McGee. Now you'd better give the phone to Ducky before he has a stroke. Thanks, Tim." Gibbs hung up and looked expectantly at Abby and Jenkins, nodding at them to start searching with the parameters McGee had just given them. A long 10 minutes passed before they found anything.

Jenkins, who was usually a very quiet and restrained agent, suddenly raised a fist in the air triumphantly. "I think I've got it. There are only two real possibilities. Look!"

Two sites were lit up on the screen. One showed an above ground bunker; but it was likely there were some underground areas there as well. It was farthest away from them, about two hours east of Thurmont, Maryland. The second one was a bit closer. While there weren't too many buildings visible above ground, it was spread out over a larger area.

Gibbs pointed. "That one. Zero in on it. Let's see what's there." Jenkins obliged and brought up an image that showed what looked like the ruins of some kind of an old military staging area. There were a few crumbling cement structures. But what caught Gibbs' eye was the number of staircases, obviously leading underground.

"Where is that? Exactly? How far away are we?"

Abby simply could not help herself. She leaned over Jenkins, and "helped" him type, the same as she had done with McGee so many times. A couple of minutes went by; then her victorious voice rang out.

"It's not far from South Mountain State Park. Boonsboro, Maryland. Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs. That's less than an hour away. Let's go! Drive, Bryce, drive!"

As Bryce took off at a speed that made Gibbs feel like he was driving them himself, following the directions called out by Jenkins and Abby, Gibbs called Ducky and told him to have an ambulance head their way, passing on the coordinates. He instructed him to have life flight standing by again as well, but made sure the doctor knew to wait to send the EMTs to the scene until Gibbs, or one of the other team members called them in. Vance called the local sheriff, and had them send a team out to the other facility to check, just in case Gibbs' famous gut would prove to be wrong, however unlikely that was.

But all were encouraged, almost sure that they now knew where their missing agents were. The feeling in the van was one of hopeful worry. Hopeful that they were finally closing in and that this nightmare was almost over. And worry that they would be too late.

"Just hang on Tony. We're coming for you." Abby's words expressed what everyone was thinking.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and David:** "Ziva." Tony's voice was very quiet, a mere whisper. She came to his side and squatted beside him, intent on helping him sit up.

"No. Don't let on I'm 'wake. Act like you're checking me when he comes in; try to make him think 'm out of it." Ziva smiled a little, while checking his fever.

"That should not be too difficult, Tony. You look like death warmed under."

That brought the slightest smile to DiNozzo's face, as she had hoped it would. "Over Ziva. Death warmed over." He shifted slightly, wincing as the pain grabbed at him. "I think he just killed his cronies; bet you can take him."

He managed to glance up and they shared a long look. "Let's get this guy and go home, Ziv. I got your six." Tony's confidence in her was heartening. Before she could reply, they heard the door being unlocked. They didn't have time for more, but she smiled and winked at her partner. Whatever happened, they would face it together.

Mehi opened the door, and stopped at the sight of Agent David bending over the wounded agent. "Tony." She let her voice fill with anguish that was not entirely fake.

"Please. You must wake up. Please." Hating herself for having to cause him more pain, she shook him. But he did not respond, other than tensing up and clenching his teeth to stifle any sounds of pain. Mehi came over, pointed the shot gun at her and motioned for her to get up. Ziva glared at him, but slowly stood, moving a few feet away. Keeping the gun trained on her, he kicked at Tony once, twice. When there was no response, he frowned.

"On your knees Miss David. Face the door." Ziva turned toward the door, and placed her hands on her head, but did not kneel. Spitting an obscenity at him, she taunted him. "Make me, Mr. Mehi. Or are you too afraid to face a woman?"

Mehi's own rage boiled over. He was exhausted and though the insanity had more or less taken over, he did not like having to kill the two men who had been in his employ. It had simply been necessary; and besides, he did not want to share the woman with them. But he wasn't going to take any sass from her either. Though he knew she was a well trained agent, he simply couldn't comprehend that a small woman could really be a threat to him. That, and his belief that Agent DiNozzo was out of it, would prove to be his undoing.

Turning his back on Tony, he approached Ziva. Shoving her forward, he pointed the shotgun at her back. "You will comply. Or you'll die now. Simple as that."

After that, everything seemed to happen at once. Ziva pretended to stumble, and as she did so, she reached back with her hands, grasping Mehi by his arm. Using her forward momentum, she continued into a roll, planning on throwing him over her head. But though he was insane, Mehi was a very, very strong man. At the last possible second, he realized her intent.

"No!" His scream of fury rang out. Even though he felt himself losing control, he managed to turn; pointing the gun toward the man he thought was unconscious and lying on the ground behind him. "I will kill him! I'll kill you both!"

Except that Tony wasn't unconscious. He had somehow gotten to his knees, and using his almost useless right arm to brace himself against the wall, he was in the act of hurling the knife straight at Mehi, glad for the training all agents were required to take. Without it, he didn't know if he could be accurate with his left hand. And truthfully, as bad as he felt, he didn't know if he would be accurate at all. But Ziva's life depended on it, and he forced himself to concentrate through the pain. As he let the knife go, everything slowed to a crawl as time almost stood still.

Ziva hears the shotgun go off, completed her roll, and turned all in one fluid movement, ready to strike Mehi a death blow. But he had dropped the gun and was frantically clawing at the knife that was now protruding from his neck. Ziva kicked the gun away from him, and watched as he collapsed, blood gurgling from his throat. He looked completely shocked and his mouth opened in wordless agony. Then he became unnaturally still, his eyes locked open in horror.

Ziva spared him no more than a fraction of a glance. She hurried to Tony who was in the process of collapsing himself. She spotted fresh blood and could not restrain a scream of her own. "Tony! No!"

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N: I apologize for yet another evil cliffy. But it was really the best place to break off. And, the last chapter is already written. I am just editing it now. If I have time I will post it later tonight. If not, tomorrow night for sure. Thanks for reading and reviewing**


	17. Just A Man And His Pizza

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, nor do I make any money from any of this. I, like other fan-fiction writers, just do this for fun.**

**_Final A/N at the end. Thanks for reading and reviewing_.**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Twisted Brother**

**Chapter Seventeen**

"**Just A Man and His Pizza"**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Surveillance Van:** Gibbs hated the wait more than anything. But he could not fault Mallory's driving. The man seemed to be trying to escape some of his own demons, and the drive that should have taken close to an hour was made in less than 45 minutes. As they approached the site that had been identified on the GPS, Gibbs ordered him to slow down.

Finally, the structures came into view. Only a few scattered and dilapidated buildings could be seen. Beside one of them, partially hidden, was the dark van.

"This is it." Gibbs voice was low and intense. "Abby, you and Palmer wait here. Do NOT come out until one of us gives you the all clear. You got that?" Gibbs glared at them both. Palmer stepped up to Abby and put his hand on her arm. "I won't let her leave, boss." His own eyes blazed with the desire to see this through, and the knowledge that his medical expertise would likely be needed very soon. Abby nodded. "Just go get them Jethro. And be careful."

Mallory and Vance were already out. Gibbs and Jenkins came right behind them.

"Leon, you and Jenkins, go left. Bryce and I will start to the right. Check in if you find anything." They were wearing the ear wigs that would enable them to keep in contact with each other, and with Abby and Jimmy.

Bending low, both sets of agents set off at a fast jog, weapons out and watching for any movement. Though Gibbs wanted to simply go charging down every stairway they came to, he knew that would not help the situation. For a moment he thought back to when Tony had been captured and chained in the sewers with no one to back him up. Remembering how his Senior Field Agent had managed to not only escape a locked door, but had carried the other marine to safety, placing his own body between the man and the angry woman with a grudge, who had held a gun on him, he experienced a sense of déjà vu. He could only pray this time things would turn out as well. At least DiNozzo wasn't alone. If anyone could keep him alive, it was Ziva David.

But he threw caution to the wind when he heard the sound of a shot gun. It came from a hallway to his left, and down another staircase. "Go! Go! Go!" he called urgently into the headset. Knowing Vance and Jenkins would be only a little ways behind them, Gibbs and Bryce sprinted toward where they had heard the shot coming from. Praying they weren't too late, they located what they were pretty sure was the right set of stairs.

Gibbs headed down first, using his flashlight now; his gun propped on top of it. With Bryce backing him up, he systematically checked each corridor and doorway they came too. Descending deeper and deeper, he couldn't stop his feeling of dread. "Hang in there, son. I'm coming." No one heard his quiet words, but he somehow felt a little better saying them.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo and David:** Ziva raced to Tony, who had fallen face first onto the ground. She was terrified when she realized he must have been hit by a shotgun pellet. To have made it this far and then to see him die while trying to save her was unthinkable. Once more, she reached a shaky hand out and felt for the pulse at his neck. For a long few seconds, she could feel nothing but her own trembling. But finally, she was able to make out the fluttering that told her Tony was still alive.

Drawing a shuttering breath, she breathed a prayer of thanks. Glancing back to make sure Mehi was really dead; she gently turned Tony over and began checking him for the new injury. Grabbing the still damp towel she had used to sponge his feverish face, she carefully wiped at the blood that was showing on his right upper arm.

After a more thorough exam, she was able to tell he had just been nicked. The strain of throwing the knife, plus the shock of the added pain must have caused him to black out. Even now, he was stirring beneath her hands as she pressed harder, trying to staunch the flow of blood. Though the wound was not severe, she knew he could not afford to lose much more of the precious fluid.

His eyes blinked and he was completely disoriented for a moment. Then he must have remembered. Trying to sit up, he turned his head, obviously looking for her. "Ziva?" His voice was weak, but the demand in it was clear.

"I am fine, Tony. Mehi is dead. It will be all right now." And in the next few seconds, she knew she was telling the truth. A light shone from the stairs. Without understanding how she knew it, Ziva was sure Gibbs was behind the light.

"Gibbs. We are in here. Tony is alive, but he needs help, now!"

To NCIS Special Agent in Charge, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, those were the sweetest words he had ever heard.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Bethesda—90 Minutes Later**: Special Agent Timothy McGee was impatient to say the least. Ducky had received a telephone call from Abby, while sitting with Tim in his hospital room. She had told them Ziva and Tony had been found and that she and Jimmy were on their way to help. All she knew was that they were alive and she promised to call when she had more information. But no one had called, no one from the scene was answering their phones, and though both Tim and Dr. Mallard had tried every avenue they could think of to get more information, they had learned nothing. All the hospital staff would tell them was that life flight had been dispatched and should be arriving soon.

"Ducky, they just have to be all right. This is all my fault. I should never have left Tony there." Tim's memory of events had stopped the moment he'd been shot, and instead of things getting clearer, it seemed his ability to remember much of what had happened was getting worse and worse.

Ducky patted his hand, a bit concerned about his memory loss. "It is most certainly NOT your fault Timothy. You likely saved Tony's life. If his condition was as bad as you say, he would not have survived the wound you sustained. Now, please, try not to worry. I know Gibbs will contact us as soon as he is able."

It was at that moment Ducky's phone rang. Almost as if summoned, Gibbs' name showed on the display. "There. See? Now we will learn what has happened."

Dr. Mallard answered the phone. All the patience he had been displaying for McGee was suddenly gone. "Jethro, what took you so long? Don't you know we've been worried sick? What the hell has happened?"

There was the sound of a slight smile in Gibbs' voice. He understood how difficult it was to wait, but there simply had not been time to call before now, and their phones hadn't gotten reception while they were underground. "Sorry Duck. Is McGee there with you? Put me on speaker."

Ducky nodded, forgetting in his concern that Gibbs could not see him. "Go ahead Jethro."

"Tony's in bad shape. I won't lie to you. He should be arriving any time now; life flight left about 10 minutes ago. Ziva is fine, exhausted, but not hurt. Duck, go meet the flight, will you? Jimmy is with him; he wouldn't let me ride in with Tony. There was only room for one in the helicopter."

Ducky was stunned. Gibbs had not gone along with the agent he considered a son? And Jimmy had stopped him? "Mr. Palmer? He is with Tony?" He could not keep the astonishment out of his voice.

"Yeah, well, Duck, he saved his life. So when he insisted on going with 'his' patient, I couldn't very well say no, now could I?"

At that moment, Ducky's pager went off. He glanced at it. "Jethro, the hospital staff is paging me. Anthony must be arriving. I guess it is your turn to wait, but rest assured, I will report as soon as I have any information." With that, Ducky tossed his phone to a startled McGee, knowing the younger agent would want details, and hurried out of the room, still muttering, "Mr. Palmer? Indeed!"

"What happened?" McGee's voice was mixture of relief and trepidation.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**Surveillance Van, In-bound to Bethesda:** Bryce was driving the van again. Vance had stayed at the crime scene with Jenkins, waiting on the rest of Balboa's team to arrive and begin processing it. So Gibbs was in the passenger seat and Abby was sitting behind him, praying all the while.

"McGee? That you?" Gibbs was suddenly so tired nothing was making sense. "Yeah, it's me. Ducky just left. Is Tony going to be okay? Is he going to make it?" Tim's voice sounded almost as exhausted as the rest of them felt.

"He'll make it Tim. I won't allow anything else."

Abby suddenly reached up and took the phone from Gibbs. "I'll talk to him Boss. You get some rest." Gibbs didn't argue, just handed the phone over. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and listened as Abby began filling things in for Agent McGee. Her voice merged with the scenes still running through his head until he wasn't sure what was real and what he might be dreaming.

_Gibbs had entered the cell without even clearing it first. He'd thought to himself that he'd have his agents' heads for doing that, but when he'd heard Ziva's voice, nothing could have held him back. The sight that greeted him was less than promising. He glanced quickly at the body on the ground. _

"_Mehi?" he asked, quickly bending down to ascertain that the man was dead. He'd seen the other two men at the top of the staircase, with the back of their heads blown out and had feared the worst. _

"_Yes. Tony killed him." Ziva was kneeling beside DiNozzo, trying to stop the fresh blood. Gibbs was almost glad to see it, because it had to mean his agent was still alive. He didn't look alive. He was very still, and if Tim had looked bad, Tony looked much worse. _

_Nodding at Bryce, he knelt beside his agents. He heard Bryce calling out as he raced back up the stairs and knew the man would not only get Vance and Jenkins there, he would call Abby and Palmer in too, as well as sending for the ambulance that was standing by not far away. _

_To Gibbs' surprise, as he gently placed his hand on Tony's forehead, his eyes fluttered open. "B,' boss? Ya' really here?" _

"_Yeah, DiNozzo, I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere, son."_

"_Good, 'cuz 'm real tired 'a bein' in charge." Tony tried to make a joke, but was stopped by the inevitable coughing. Gasping for breath, his back arched as the pain reached for him. Ziva quickly supported him, helping him into a sitting position. Gibbs immediately slid behind the younger man, holding him against his chest. He raised his eyebrows at Ziva with an unspoken question._

"_I believe he has pneumonia and his lung is most likely punctured. His breathing has been getting worse." As if to punctuate that fact, Tony suddenly began gasping and choking, and his face started to turn first red, then an alarming shade of blue as it became obvious he wasn't getting enough oxygen into his system. _

_That was when Abby and Palmer came bounding into the room. Abby shrieked "Tony!" and would have run to him for a hug, but Ziva stopped her with a look and a shake of her head._

"_Palmer. Help him. Now!" Gibbs voice was as forceful as Jimmy had ever heard it. _

_Jimmy quickly opened his bag and withdrew his stethoscope. Bending over he listened, first to Tony's chest, then motioning for them to lean him forward, to his back. _

_He frowned, frightened by what he was hearing. "I think he has a bad lung." Jimmy shook his head and drew in a deep breath of his own, steadying himself. "I mean, he has a pneumothorax." He listened some more, then looked Tony in the eyes._

_Tony stared up at the man he called the autopsy gremlin. He seemed to be begging for help, and his breathing was getting worse. He slowly raised his left hand and grasped Jimmy's sleeve._

_His voice was barely discernable. "Help me, Palmer. Whate'er you have to do, get it done." And with that Jimmy's confidence returned._

"_His lung is collapsing. I need to place a chest tube. There isn't time to wait." Jimmy reached into his bag, and removed the scalpel he'd hoped not to need. Pulling out the chest tube that had been included when he and Ducky had packed the medical bag, he looked at Tony again. "It's going to hurt, Tony. I'm so sorry." _

_Tony closed his eyes, but nodded. "Jus' do it, Jimmy. S' okay."_

_Gibbs held his agent more firmly. Ziva helped cut Tony's shirt off, and watched as Jimmy carefully cleansed the area he would need to cut into with an alcohol swab. Gulping slightly, Jimmy looked up again. "Hold him still. Tony, hold on." And with poise he didn't know where was coming from, Jimmy cut carefully into his friend's side, and proceeded to save his life. _

Gibbs could swear he was still hearing the strangled scream Tony had released when the pain had become unbearable. He woke with a start when they pulled into the Bethesda parking lot, hardly able to believe he'd actually slept. Jumping out of the van before it came to a complete stop, he raced inside. Ducky must have known they were coming, because they were met by a member of Dr. Brad Pitt's team.

"Where's DiNozzo?" Gibbs couldn't keep the worry out of his voice.

The nurse nodded. "He's in surgery. It isn't looking real good, but Dr. Pitt thinks he has a chance. Come on, I'll take you all to where Dr. Mallard is waiting. He said you would want to see Agent McGee right away."

Abby and Bryce were right behind Gibbs and they all followed the nurse to McGee's room.

After that, it was a matter of waiting for news. Abby sat by Agent McGee and held his hand. Tim drifted in and out, having finally agreed to some pain management.

Finally, after three long and agonizing hours, Dr. Pitt himself arrived. He was smiling when he entered McGee's room and looked around. Everyone relaxed, realizing that he would not look so happy if there was bad news.

"You know, Gibbs. I'm getting a little tired of working on DiNozzo. Do you think that this time, since we've got him all patched up again, you could at least try to keep him in one piece?"

It was Jimmy Palmer who answered, jumping in before Gibbs could get his mouth open to respond. Truthfully, Gibbs had had to sit down when he saw Dr. Pitt coming down the hall and was just now processing the words and their meaning.

"We'll try, Dr. Pitt. But you know DiNozzo. I don't think my patient is happy unless he's causing trouble." Jimmy grinned, and then looked around at the faces of Team Gibbs, all in various degrees of surprise and amusement at his words. "Ah, well, I mean, your patient, of course. And yours, Dr. Mallard. I mean, I only just worked on him the one time, so of course, that doesn't make him MY patient; at least not ONLY my patient. He's really my friend, not so much my patient. Well, of course, he's YOUR Senior Field Agent, Agent Gibbs, even more than he's my friend. I mean. . . ."

Abby took pity on the young man and slipped her arm around him. "It's okay, Jimmy. After what you did for my Tony, he can be your patient."

"Hear! Hear!" Dr. Mallard was quick to chime in. "I don't think I've ever been prouder or you, young man. But don't think for a moment it means you can take over in autopsy. Why, I remember one time, years ago. It was just after WW2, I believe. I was working in London, and my assistant began to think that he could somehow do my job." He turned toward Palmer, and continued his story.

Gibbs shook his head, and quietly left the room. He needed just a moment to register that fact that his son was going to recover. A moment later, Dr. Pitt followed him out. "How is he really, doc? Will he recover fully?"

Dr. Pitt smiled again. "He'll recover, Gibbs, but its not going to be easy. He was a real mess, still is really." He shook his head, remembering the tension in the operating room as they staff had worked to keep DiNozzo alive.

"He did have a pneumothorax, as Mr. Palmer thought. Without that young man's quick thinking, he would not have lived much longer." Gibbs closed his eyes, realizing again just how close it had been. It was at that moment, that Ziva approached them. She waited, and at Gibbs' nod, the doctor continued.

"He'd been beaten pretty badly, worse than McGee, and that' saying something. He has several broken ribs and his right collar bone is broken. I think is started out as a green stick fracture, but got a lot worse; the bone are displaced. We can really cast it, so he's going to have to wear a brace and a sling for quite some time."

Ziva snorted. "Oh, he will just love that." Gibbs smiled, just a little, thinking of how annoying Tony could be when he was recovering from anything.

"What else, doc?" he asked. Dr. Pitt sighed. "We had to go back in and repair his leg again. That's the part that still has me a bit concerned. He had just barely started to get better before, and the infection was quite severe." He turned and looked at Ziva. "If you hadn't found him when you did, the infection would have become septic. He wouldn't have survived hat either." He shook his head. "He's really a very lucky man."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Lucky? I'm not sure that's the word I'd use." Pitt smiled and nodded. 'Yes, Gibbs. Lucky. Not just to have lived through this nightmare, but lucky to have friends like all of you." And with that, he turned and headed to the nurses station to update DiNozzo's chart.

Gibbs walked a short distance down the hall, then stopped, leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He though Ziva had gone back to Tony's room, so he was a bit startled to feel a hand on his arm a moment later.

"Gibbs." Ziva's voice was soft. "I know. I am also very relieved." And Gibbs surprised himself when he reached out and drew the young Israeli agent into a hug. "Yeah, Ziva. Me too."

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo's Hospital Room:** It was a few days later, and Tony was fully into recovery mode. He had started complaining the moment he was awake enough to realize that McGee got to go home and he didn't. He just didn't see how that could be fair. He faced more physical therapy and a lot of respiratory therapy as well, and probably at least one more surgery to repair the damage to his leg. His shoulder was already beginning to heal, and he knew the only thing that would really help his ribs was time.

For once, Tony was alone in his room. Tim had come in earlier that morning and the two of them had taken the time to talk, really talk about everything that had happened. McGee had tried to apologize for what he saw as letting the senior agent down, but Tony had stopped him with a look. Then he had surprised both of them by actually getting serious. Tony remembered all too well how he had felt when he thought McGee was dead, and had realized he hadn't told him how proud he was of him, or how glad he was to have him as his partner. So he made sure he took care of that without any further delay. When he was finished, though McGee still wasn't totally convinced he shouldn't have somehow done more to help Tony, he was at least relaxed. In fact as he stopped in the doorway and waved to Tony, he had a gleam in his eye that had not been there before and an air of confidence about him that was new.

Tony laid his head back and let his eyes slowly close. He thought back to the past few days, as his friends; his family really, had come to visit him. Each one had made sure to spend some time alone with him, and had made it very clear how much they cared about him and how worried they had been.

Abby had of course; brought her stuffed hippo, Bert, back for him to "hold" while he was recuperating; this time with strict instructions to keep him until he was released to return to full time duty. She had also brought Sarah McGee with her, and Sarah had enveloped Tony in a huge, but careful hug. "Thank you Tony, for saving my brother's life." Characteristic of a McGee, she didn't think about the danger she herself had been in. But Tony was glad she was all right, and wished her well in her studies. She was heading back to the university in the morning, having gotten permission to complete her finals a week late. He hugged the young woman back and then couldn't contain his laugher as Bert "farted" when he was caught between them.

"Ohh, no, no, don't make me laugh. Hurts!" Abby couldn't help but chuckle and she chattered on, telling Tony how much Bryce had helped and how sorry the other agent was for everything that had happened because of his family.

Bryce Mallory had come in the night before and he and Tony had had a long talk. Though he didn't feel there was any apology necessary, Tony had accepted the other man's heartfelt one with grace. "I guess my brother was just, well, twisted somehow. He never recovered from Tate's death, and just got sicker than any of us realized." Bryce was subdued, but was able to at least begin releasing some of the guilt he had been carrying.

Bryce told Tony he was going to transfer to the Seattle office. He wanted to be a little closer to his mother on the West Coast, since she was really the only family he had left. "Gibbs put in a good word for me. I'll be on Ed Gustafson's team."

Tony had raised his eyebrows at that. "Gustafson? He's great, man. He and Gibbs go way back. Congrats Bryce. But, if you ever get tired of the rain out there, just say the word. I know we'd love to have you back, anytime." The two had shaken hands and Tony knew he had a new friend for life.

Palmer had shyly accepted Tony's warm thanks for doing the difficult duty of the emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his collapsed lung. He couldn't help joking that maybe Palmer's nickname from their work together on an undercover case-'Black Lung'- was somehow very appropriate. The two of them, already good friends, realized that their bond had gotten even stronger.

Ducky had divided his time between admonishing the agent to take care of himself this time, and regaling him with numerous stories. Tony had at least gotten a lot of sleep whenever Ducky was keeping him company.

Gibbs had spent the most time with him, rarely leaving his room except to get the inevitable coffee. He just wanted Tony to know he was there whenever he opened his eyes. Though DiNozzo had been pretty out of it for the first day and a half, every time he had awakened for even a minute, his eyes had immediately searched out his Boss, and as soon as he'd seen that Gibbs was still there, he'd been able to relax and rest. They had talked some, but words weren't really necessary between them. It was enough that they knew they could always count on the other. Tony had asked once, where DiNozzo Senior was, since the man had not made it in to visit him.

Gibbs tried to keep the disgust out of his voice. "I called him, Tony. He said to tell you he's glad you're going to be okay, but that he just can't get away. Said his new business venture is at too critical a juncture to leave right now." Gibbs didn't tell him that DiNozzo, Sr. had made that statement before any of them knew for sure if Tony was going to make a full recovery. He tried to soften the blow he knew this must be. But to his surprise, Tony barely seemed to notice his father's absence.

"Doesn't matter, Gibbs. Nothing has changed with him; never will. Anyway, I've got you, so what do I need another Dad for?" Tony had sought his boss' eyes with his own, trying to gauge how that statement would go over. Gibbs smiled, one of the few full smiles he ever let anyone see. "You got that right, son. You got that right."

Agent Ziva David had been the last one to come to see him. Gibbs had been sitting with him, and Tony was starting to feel well enough to get bored. So of course, he'd been badgering Gibbs to try and bust him out of the hospital early. Gibbs had been more than happy to leave a restless and impatient DiNozzo in Ziva's capable hands.

After their usual banter, things had suddenly seemed a bit strained. "Ziva," Tony started, at the exact time she said, "Tony." At that, the tension had eased. "Go ahead Ziv."

Ziva had sat down next to him and reached for his hand. "Tony, I was so very afraid for you. I did not want anything bad to happen to you. And I felt I somehow needed to be the one to help you this time. After Somala—"

Tony interrupted rather forcefully. "Screw Somalia! That's over and done with. Let's just say we're even now, all right? No more talk of anyone owing anyone anything. Deal?" He studied her face, and was finally rewarded with her dazzling mile.

"Deal, DiNozzo. But," she held up one finger and pointed it at him. "I do not think I care to be your sister, is that understood?"

Tony's look of confusion made her smile all the more. Obviously, he did not remember telling her she was like a sister, since they both considered Gibbs as a father.

When he started to ask about it, she took that same finger and laid it across his lips. "Never mind. I will tell you that story another time." She got up then, but before she left, she surprised both of them by placing a quick kiss on his lips. "I am very glad to have you back, Tony. But if you ever do this to me again," she stood and glared at him now, as she headed back for NCIS, "I will personally kick your ass, do you understand?"

Tony decided maybe he really didn't want to know what either her comment about being his sister or the kiss meant. "Yeah, I think I do. Don't want my ass kicked by a mere girl, so I guess I'll try to behave." Gibbs returned at that moment with his coffee, and almost had it spilled as Ziva whirled around intent on making sure Tony knew she was no mere 'girl."

"Guess some things will never change, will they?" Gibbs asked rhetorically has he sat back down beside DiNozzo's bed. "Not that I'd want them to." Neither Tony nor Ziva was sure they'd heard that right.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**DiNozzo's Hospital Room:** Almost a week later, the whole team, minus Abby, was gathered back at the hospital. Tony was being released later that day, and they were waiting for his final discharge instructions. This time he would be staying with Gibbs, who had no intention of letting him out of his sight until he was completely healed.

Vance even showed up, and good naturedly started ribbing the agent. "DiNozzo, it's about time you quit loafing around and get back to work. Gibbs is driving everyone crazy without you around to take the heat off of them. He even tried to head slap me once!"

Everyone laughed, as they tried to imagine Gibbs head-slapping the very dignified Agency Director.

Tony leaned back, casually folding his arms. If he was careful, he could move his right arm now without too much pain. He was hoping no one would notice that he hadn't bothered with the sling. But that was to no avail. Gibbs frowned at him, and held the offending piece of material out. "Are you going to cooperate DiNozzo or do I need to put this on you?"

Tony sighed and slipped it on. "So, what's for dinner boss? T-Bones? Your famous spaghetti? Maybe a foot long subway sandwich?"

Gibbs couldn't resist teasing him. "Well, no, DiNozzo. I ordered pizza. Thought it was your favorite."

Tony stopped, mouth open in stunned surprise. "I dunno, Boss. I'm not sure I can ever eat pizza again."

At that moment, Abby walked in. She was carrying a box, and from it came the unmistakable smell of a pepperoni pizza. "Oh, no! You have to eat this, Tony. You have no idea how much trouble I had sneaking it in."

"Not to worry, Abs," Tim laughed and reached for the box. "I have no problem eating pizza." But before he could get his hands on the box, he was startled when Tony grabbed it away from him. "The hell you will, McGee! No one gets between a man and his pizza!" And he tore into the box, taking his first bite with gusto.

Dr. Brad Pitt was just coming down the hall, pretending he didn't smell pepperoni pizza. As he heard the laugher ring out from his favorite patient's room, he smiled. "Amen to that, DiNozzo. Amen to that."

**The End**

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NCIS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

**A/N:** _**Well, here we are, at the end of the ride. Thank you again, to everyone who has reviewed, alerted this story or me as an author, added it to your favorites, and for just reading it. To see the amount of traffic it has been getting worldwide has made me grin. **_

_**One quick note about locations – since I am from the West Coast – figuring out where things are back east is a bit of a challenge. So I go on line and find places I like the sound of – and that is where the action takes place. If I am way off base with something, sorry in advance. **_

_**If I have not replied to at least one of your reviews, I deeply apologize. I have tried to reply at least once to everyone who has taken the time to review. But between working full time, managing a very busy household, and trying to write and edit the chapters on a semi regular basis, I may have missed someone. Even so, please know that reviews are what encourage me more than anything. Thank you all—so, very, very much.**_

_**I have finally gotten a beta reader, (thanks to Everybetty for agreeing to help me edit my stories), so my next story, another one set in NCIS-land, and called "Without A Doubt," will have some additional editing behind it and I am looking forward to that experience. I hope to start writing it in the next few weeks, but we are getting into our busy season at work, so no promises. I will try to have it mostly written before I post the first chapter, so as not to make you wait too long in between them. **_

_**I am dedicating this chapter to all the Fathers and Father-figures out there. I was blessed to have a Dad who loved me, encouraged me to read and who also loved to write his own stories down. I was further blessed to have a Father-in-law who was my surrogate Dad for years and years. Both of my Dads are gone now; my Father passed away unexpectedly three days after Christmas this past year and I lost my dear Father-in-law in 2005. Because of the recent loss of my own Dad, the idea of Fathers and their children is particularly poignant to me right now. **_

_**So, to Dad and Daddy – this is for you. Thank you for your love and for the influence you both had on my life. If there are computers in heaven, maybe you'll get a kick out of reading my little stories.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed the final installment of "Twisted Brother." It's been a blast to write it. Thank you again for reading and reviewing and for all of your kind words. Blessings to you al!l Until next time—take care—Caro June.**_


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